Stop The World
by nekobotan
Summary: Shounen ai 1x2, 3x4, bg 13xR, 5xS. A falsely accused angel is sent to Earth, where his punishment continues, and the mystery of his crime unravels rather poorly, as I don't write mysteries well...
1. Chapter 1

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 1

**Stop The World  
1**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing 

Title: Stop The World Part 1  
Rated: PG-13?  
Warnings: A.U., shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13 [that was weird to write], weak storyline, cliché storyline, and a lot P.O.V. switching... what did I forget... No angst. I could call it drama... And sap. I think they're all in character... 

Description: An angel is accused of a horrible crime, and is banished to Earth where the truth plays out. This was supposed to be a mystery/thriller with no real suspense or thrill to it... The plot is weak ::grumble:: ^^ 

-------------------------- 

PART 1 

It was a pure moment. Untouched and perfect. The Earth spun as it always did; never motionless, always turning. But that moment seemed to make everything stop. Halting according to my shock... and my fate. I could hear them laughing at me-- the Fates. Everything was amusing to them. 

I was not amused. My world was crashing down around me-- it was so unbelievable, so untrue! But even God makes mistakes. Or his subordinates do. And they were my superiors in every way. Greater in aura than any other novice angel. 

I arrived in chains. The iron was cold and heavy against my wrists, and as they dragged across the marble they screamed.... or was it me? The walls of the Guardians were tall, and white; blinding even to me. They were normally warm and welcoming, these walls of angels... My bare feet however, padded against cold stone, and I shivered. I had never been cold before. 

Nothing tangible led me through those halls. Every knowledgeable angel could navigate them by heart. I was called here, because the chains had formed; molding themselves from the light and binding my wrists tightly... I had watched calmly... But I wanted to scream. 

The chains and I screamed down the hall to the door at the end where I had never been. It was as much a mystery to me, as to any of my fellow angels, the ones that traveled free among the heavens, while I stood chained, and panicked. I had never felt panic, before. 

"Enter, Accused." 

All voices in the heavens were melodic. Soft, yet firm; likened to bells or beautiful music, or love... I was afraid of this soft baritone. It echoed in my ears with foreboding clarity. I entered, because I was commanded. The chains were muffled in the presence of the Guardian, as was I. I would not speak, nor could I, in his presence... 

"You are accused of Earthly Liquidation. Your interference has been reported. Investigated. Condemned. Level One Angel you are removed from the Echelon of Ephemerals; as is punishment for all Interference, you are banished to your point of interference. It is unknown at this time of possible compensation of liability." 

So many words, spoken without sympathy without retribution. He was terribly indifferent, and it blew my mind. _I'm being banished for murder-- on Earth!? I've never left his realm, I *cant*-- _

The angelic figure, bowed comfortably over his golden desk, did not respond to my frantic, silent questions, nor did he lift his golden gaze to acknowledge my mere presence. The wings poised importantly behind him rustled as they folded. My own were trembling; folded tightly to my back for comfort... _There is no comfort_, I realized. _I.... I am condemned. _

"The Echelon is not without concession," the Guardian sighed. His head raised, and I met his fiery gaze somehow. His beautiful face tilted as he studied me, the criminal, the fallen. I blinked... I'm fallen. 

There were tales of the fallen angels. The angels that were born with an inexplicable dark half to their soul. It was an uncommon birth, but it happened. They were wrong for the heavens. Too dark for the light, too light for the dark. 

Interference in the Earthly realm was a common offense for the fallen. The Earth dwellers were a conglomeration of foreign emotions actions and devices. They were infectious, in a way, and intriguing even to the most pure of angels. 

The fallen were attracted to mystery, and they were drawn to the Earth... They used the angels' only way of traveling through realms. They fell... And so were deemed the fallen. They were 

"always falling," I finished brokenly. I was a little surprised at my ability to speak but other emotions soon stole over me. Emotions that were irregular for an angel. I was afraid. So, so afraid. I was shivering too. It seemed as if the marble floor were freezing me. 

"How can I be fallen," I murmured quietly. "You've made a mistake." 

The Guardian's pale brows rose slightly. He was insulted at my accusation, rude and unexpected. I was not rude, however. I only speak when necessary, marking me as a rather unsociable angel-- but not fallen. 

"You're mistaken," I continued with my protest, even as the Guardian stood from his desk. I gripped my chains in tight fists. I lifted them, and they glittered in the light that was always present in the heavens. I trembled.... "I'm not fallen," I insisted. The Guardian watched me in my helplessness. The Fates began to laugh again, and the grating sound of their laughter seemed to irk even him. 

"The Guardians don't make mistakes, angel," he replied slowly.... The world stopped with his next admission. "And you, are mistaken." I managed to breathe, once, and shallowly, before he finished, and raised one golden hand from the desk before him. "You are fallen." 

------------------------ 

End part 1. Title is based on a line from the song 'Peace Is Just A Word', by the Eurythmics. ^_^V 


	2. Chapter 2

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 2

**Stop The World  
2**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** A.U. Shounen ai, 1x2, 3x4... The rest is unforseen. This [as of this chapter] is unfinished. Will be finished. Slight cursing. Suspense? I dunno. I doubt angst. Sap. I'm good at that. I'll admit I was inspired by another angel fic, one where wings were shorn. Who wrote it? Dunno. Title is from 'Peace', by the Eurythmics. 

  
  


  


  


  
  


  
  
PART 2 "I'm so sorry about your sister's death-- it's so tragic! And in this neighborhood--" 

Quatre smiled painfully. The woman just wouldn't shut up. She was trying to be sympathetic, while milking details from the grieving brother, whose sister had just days ago been murdered. He kept his smile up somehow as he poked frantically at the cash register. _I'd just tell her to buzz off if she didn't come in every week and spend hundreds on paper fortunes. Damn. _

"Will that be all Mrs. Davis?" He squeaked patiently. Mrs. Davis smiled hugely, and patted Quatre's pale, slender hand on the counter. 

"Yes dear. You take care now." 

Quatre's smile faded before Mrs. Davis' stout figure had gotten halfway across the shop. She meant well... But it was still so hard to even think about.... The police were roaming Iria's apartment upstairs now, searching for clues-- he could hear their footsteps if he listened closely. 

"Hey Muriel!" A pleasantly loud voice erupted suddenly into the quiet of the shop. It was tight from the cold and ringing with laughter that chimed along with the bells above the door. Mrs. Muriel Davis giggled loudly and Quatre looked up from the register to watch his partner in business flirt. 

Duo leaned closer to the small woman to whisper something in her ear. She giggled loudly and blushed like a school girl. With her brown eyes sparkling she leaned forward and planted a firm, loud kiss on Duo's slender cheek, marring its golden surface with a large red lipstick smudge. Duo laughed happily and waved to Mrs. Davis as she skipped out the door. 

"Sweet little lady." He rubbed his cheek with cold fingers and laughed again at the sight of bright red makeup on his hand. "Wears a little too much lipstick, but sweet nonetheless." His smile swiveled around to light upon Quatre's small form behind the counter. Angel-Boy was quite a sight to walk into. One of many reasons Horizons got so many customers. Eye candy. 

Duo quirked up his mouth in a sympathetic, knowing smirk. By the depressed look on Quatre's face he could tell Little Muriel had dug her lacquer nails into some fresh wounds. Prying into the lives of her favorite shop boys as usual. 

"Muriel get her fill of the world news today, buddy?" Duo sauntered up to the counter and plopped down the white, lightly grease spotted bag he'd been hefting for the last three blocks. It smelled of tantalizing, artery clogging dinner. Also known as hamburgers and fries. 

"Of course," Quatre sighed. He confiscated the white bag and opened it with a skeptical look. "Did you order grease, or French fries, because I can't tell what this is." 

Duo took the bag out from underneath Quatre's wary inspection and glanced into it. "Hm. Me neither. Looks edible enough." He picked out a drooping, glistening object-- assumedly a French fry-- and crammed it into his mouth. One quick munch made him smile, and reach in for more. "I do believe it's a fry!" 

Quatre watched Duo cram and swallow for a few seconds, shaking his head slowly. Then he too began to eat. The food was thick, and tasteless as he chewed... Because he heard the footsteps of the investigators upstairs. They were coming down; stomping the way investigators could, with suspense and suspicion. Quatre turned to watch as they descended, and parted the dividing curtains between the shop and the apartments. The first one through was a tall, dark haired man; an Asian with sharp, calculating black eyes. Lieutenant Wufei Chang. He was handsome and trenchant. Quatre had no doubt that Iria's apartment would be thoroughly searched by this man, from closet to box springs. This lieutenant would find the killer... It was in his eyes, and his heart. 

Following him was the second lead man assigned to the investigation. As tall as Lieutenant Chang, and as sharp-eyed. Or as sharp-eyed as one could discern from the single emerald orb that was visible. His burnt umber hair was flipped boldly across the other in a stylish, but uncommon fashion. He wore a trench coat as did his partner, and walked with cat like grace, as if permanently crossing a high wire at a circus. Smooth balanced and tensed, ready for anything. 

_They're both dedicated to their jobs_, Quatre deliberated. He took another bite from his hamburger and nodded to the Lieutenants as they approached. ... _I just hope they can tell me why... _

Lieutenant Chang spoke first. His partner rarely did. In fact, he'd never spoken. Duo waved to them as he shoved the last of his meal into his mouth and chewed. Lieutenant Chang's nose wrinkled, but he didn't comment. His gaze fell on Quatre and shifted expertly into its empathetic yet all business tone. 

"We've gathered some evidence from your sister's quarters. No one is to enter that room unless they're from our team." He paused to give Duo another disgusted look, but by now Duo had finished and was listening attentively. His dark blue eyes were wide and innocent... A deceiving statement, Quatre knew. 

"Of course," Quatre replied. He licked off some ketchup from his finger nervously, and caved in to the insatiable desire to *ask*. His crystal eyes flickered from Chang to Lieutenant Barton. "Did you find anything?" 

Duo and Quatre watched as the officers' expressions closed up, more so than they already were. Quatre nodded in reluctant acceptance. 

"We can't reveal anything about the case as of yet. You'll be one of the first to know of any developments, Mr. Winner." Wufei nodded curtly, and continued. "It would be best if neither you, nor Mr. Maxwell here, left town. We'll need to be in contact with both of you, and our team will need free access to Ms. Winner's apartment." 

"Aw," Duo sighed. He propped his elbow on the counter and perched his chin in his palm. His statement was disappointed, as well as mocking. "Now we'll have to cancel our plans for Malibu, Quatre! You know how we can afford it..." He trailed off meaningfully, giving Chang a simple look that said 'we're not leaving, don't worry bud.' 

"Duo," Quatre sighed. But it was more of a habit than a reprimand. He offered a tiny smile to the Lieutenants. "We understand...." His eyes locked on the quiet background officer who met them with a divided, dim green gaze. "Thank you." 

Duo noted Quatre's ardent and appreciative gaze. _I'll have to tease him about this later... But at least he has good taste._ Duo grinned. _Pick 'em tall dark and handsome, I say! _

As Lieutenant Chang nodded in parting, and Lieutenant Barton followed in his flowing way, Duo watched Quatre angle his head to watch-- and Duo couldn't help but laugh, and join him. "They must work out," he offered aloud. Quatre's delighted snort was his only audible concordance. 

The bells over the door jingled noisily once, and twice as each man passed, and they continued to jingle as the door propped open. Lieutenant Barton held it for an incoming shopper. The ringing stilled as the door eased closed, and Duo focused with a smile on the potential money spender... It faltered, as he got a good look at the guy. Then rose again from habit. 

"Can we help you?" 


	3. Chapter 3

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 3

**Stop The World  
3**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** A.U. Shounen ai, 1x2, 3x4... The rest is unforseen. This [as of this chapter] is unfinished. Will be finished. Slight cursing. Suspense? I dunno. I doubt angst. Sap. I'm good at that. I'll admit I was inspired by another angel fic, one where wings were shorn. Who wrote it? Dunno. Title is from 'Peace', by the Eurythmics. 

  
  


  


  


  
  


  
  
PART 3 It was cold here. The floor hurt my feet, and the pain was surprising. I had never felt pain before... The pain in my feet was dim, however, compared to the agony I had awakened with. My shoulders were lighter than I remembered. The muscles in my back ached with something forgotten, and I knew, as I lay sprawled on some uncomfortable palate, that so many things had changed. The world had stopped for that one moment, and then had begun its turning again. It always did. 

I listened for the fates to start laughing at me. But I didn't hear them... It was if my ears were muffled. Now, only the sounds of wind and bustle filled the air. And it was so dim. Grayish in this tiny hole I'd woken up to. My sight too, must have been dimmed. I knew why. 

The chains were gone of course, but the lingering effects of cold iron stung my wrists. I would never forget. Any of it. I had been spared no mercy by the Guardians. The fallen never were. 

And so I laid there pretending I was suspended in time... But time passed around me. I had to get up and relieve myself, like all humans do. There was a mirror in the bathroom but I didn't look at it. I was not curious. I was cold. It seemed the small flat I was in had no heat. It had only a lumpy bed and empty cupboards. I was hungry. My stomach growled impatiently and it was ignored. I had worse pain on my mind. 

I had been cast from the highest heavens in the universe. A place of ultimate peace and clarity. I was born an angel, and yet I had been thrown from my world as if I had never belonged there. The worst of it, was that I was left with memories of everything; and ghostly pains where my wings had been... _They were cut_, I reasoned, _because every angel knows the only way to become human, is to cut your wings, and to bleed... _

About a day I lay prone. Unmoving and wishing to die. But the Fates were still present, even if I couldn't hear them. I was not supposed to die. I had to live out my sentence here, as a human until my human years ran out. Then I would disappear. 

So I stood, eventually, and went to the bathroom again. I looked at the mirror this time, and I had to wipe away a layer of grime in order to see my pitiful reflection. I saw the blood first. It had coated what was left of my wings. Just stumps; bleeding and sparingly feathered. They were only faintly visible to me, and probably completely invisible to anyone here. Just as well. _All the more for the Fates to laugh at_, I thought... 

The rest of me was regular human quality. I was clothed. I had a name, as well-- the Guardians had fit me into this human niche, to regulate me... To feed me what I had 'desired'; corruption, heartache and abandon. 

"I didn't want that," I told my reflection. It spoke right back with pale lips. I was beautiful, male. I was cold, and pale, with dark tangled hair, and blue eyes the color of a deep pool. My body was slim and defined. Strong and pliable... I was trembling again. In an unconscious movement I folded my arms before me, holding in what I hoped was warmth. The ghostly remnants of my wings moved with me... But they were just ghosts. They hurt. 

My name is Heero Yuy. I have no past. I've lived in this apartment, in a populated crime ridden city, for three days. No questions asked from the landlord; only that I pay my rent on time. I have no job. Nothing in the apartment save my body... the quiet... And my memories. 

It scares me, that I like having a name. I shouldn't like anything about my unjust punishment. But a name... It gives me solidity, when so many things are shifting. It's the only thing. 

This is the third day. I've seen a busy road outside of my window, with cars and hundreds of people rushing by. They have purpose... And I've decided that I need to work. Something akin to common sense tells me I'll need a job to pay for this apartment. For life. 

_As if I'm not already paying_... My face contorted strangely at my dark thoughts. I consulted the mirror. I looked... Cruel. I was frowning, or glaring. It was appropriate for my mood, but frightening in its vehemence. I returned to my regular halcyon stare. 

I was going out today. Curiosity had been something of a downfall for me, and it had won me over again apparently. I rubbed the thin, dark green material on my arms. The brief heat this motion supplied didn't warm me, nor encourage me. I opened the door and stepped out. I had a key in my pocket, but it was rather pointless. The apartment was empty, and if anyone did decide to enter, the decrepit lock would never hold up against even a slight push. 

It was cold in the hall, and I was grateful for the boots I had found lying next to my bed. They pinched my feet because I had no stockings to wear, but protection was necessary... There were no smooth marble floors to walk on, here. 

I met no one as I descended creaking stairs; two flights down was an open door that led out to a busy side walk. I narrowed my eyes against the glaring sun and paused. My shallow breathing appeared before me in puffs of white condensation, and it mingled with each passerby as they breathed in the choking cold air. 

I stepped into the flow of commuters, and eased to the edges of the rushing flow. I wasn't frightened of the population, but of their rush. Their apparent destination, when I had none. I made sure I marked my route, so that I wouldn't be lost. There were a lot of shops; mostly selling old furniture, women, or fortune telling. I spotted several 'Help Wanted' signs, but I didn't inquire within. The scantily clad women dancing beyond the windows were not encouraging. 

I was so cold... I rolled my shoulders often, trying to relieve some of the ache in my back. _It's a permanent wound though... _

I had drifted away from the rest of the movement of bodies, and I slowed my pace, glancing at the shop windows hopefully... I halted, when a tiny figure beyond a clear pane of glass caught my attention. It was an angel. The human interpretation of the heavenly messengers. It was quite accurate, with graceful feathered wings, pale skin and hair. The figure's hands were reaching up to the sky, calling, pleading-- 

I averted my eyes from the tiny shape, and focused on a simple, handwritten sign. 'Help Wanted - Maintenance - Inquire Within.' It was faded from time, and propped up purposefully in the front window display. I acknowledged it, and moved toward the door. It rang with bells suddenly, surprising me. Two tall forms emerged and the second held the door for me. I entered quietly and felt the warmth of the shop burn me, but it was pleasant. I took in its full shelves and tables quickly, and focused on the two visible occupants. 

The young man in front of the checkout counter smiled widely at me and faltered. _He has violet eyes_, I thought; _an unusual color for a human_. But they were really blue; dark and smoldering. He was draped across the counter casually, his slim form narrowed by a tight fitting black shirt and blue jeans. His hair was the most extraordinary thing I fixed on. It was dark gold, and long; long enough for a braid that trailed down his back, all the way to his knees. Striking, in every aspect. 

I moved my quick, scrutinizing gaze to his small friend behind the counter. He was very pale, and seemed shrunk within himself. Dark circles accentuated his clear eyes, and I could see the sorrow in them. _It must be a common emotion here_, I decided sadly. 

"You had a sign." I spoke brokenly. I cleared my throat of it disuse and went on. "Help wanted." 

My eyes were still on the blonde one. His eyes had grown wider at my appearance. There was something about his gaze... Its intensity... His mouth opened slightly in shock, but he didn't speak. 

"Wow. You're the first person to see that," the man with the braid declared. He straightened and approached me. One slender hand extended in greeting. "I'm Duo Maxwell, co-owner of Horizons. That's Quatre Winner, over there, acting like a fish..." Duo trailed off as he turned his head, and caught sight of friend Quatre's bobbing jaw and wide eyes. "Quatre?" 

Quatre started at Duo's call, and blushed, adding some color to his white complexion. He smiled, but didn't speak. Duo shrugged and turned back to me. I clasped his hand and watched his face contort in surprise. 

"You're *freezing*!" He belted. I expected him to pull back from me, but he only held my hand tighter. I met his eyes, and they were warm... He smiled, and I thought that he was beautiful. 

"Let's close for the night and have some of Quatre's damn tea." He wrinkled his nose quaintly. "It tastes like tree bark I think, but it's hot." 

"Tree bark?!" Quatre piped up suddenly. He stomped out from around the counter and stalked past Duo and I. He turned the 'Open' sign on the door over, to offer the streets a definitive 'Closed', and turned back around. Quatre's eyes focused briefly on my back but moved instantly back to Duo's face... The world stopped again.... no, it slowed. 

He could see my wings. _He sees the blood_, I corrected myself. 

  
  


  



	4. Chapter 4

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 4

**Stop The World  
4**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** Constant P.O.V. shifting, new paring of 13xRelena. Wow, that's new. Had to fit them in somewhere.   
Also, someone brought up the curious concept of my inspiration ^_~. The song 'Peace', by the Eurythmics, actually. I'll put the lyrics at the end of this... Whenever that comes..... 

  
  


  
  


  
PART 4 

The cold burst of air that followed Detective Chang and Barton into the 32nd Precinct was an unwelcome stimulant upon the slow afternoon drone that had settled over the small office. Several desk workers complained lightly, and greeted the lead investigators with moans of 'shut the door!' Wufei glared at the usurpers as he passed, and burst into the closet he called his private office. Trowa followed, and closed the door. Companionable silence followed as the two pulled off their heavy coats, hung them up, and sat down at the square table in the center, where the small pile of evidence from the Iria Winner murder sat, glaring in its mystery. 

Trowa watched as Wufei scowled at the photo of Iria's body, sprawled on the floor in a black pool of blood. Her brother had found her... She was beautiful, talented, an aspiring actress. In the picture her short wavy blond hair was matted to the back of her head with blood. Three shots to the chest, and one to the head. 

"Death was instant," Wufei spoke suddenly. He leaned back in the chair, swinging one arm over the back and slouching. An uncommon gesture for the disciplined detective; one in which he fell into only for brainstorming. His plain white dress shirt was rumpled from wear and from the gun holster that was cradled beneath his arm. "Four bullets at close range, piercing the heart three times, and the head once. Time of death was 12:32 a.m." 

Trowa nodded. His partner was in his own world now; zoning out or in as was appropriate to the case. Wufei continued. 

"Weapon was an unregistered .32 pistol and the lab reported silencer markings on the bullets. The killer had to have been close to her-- there were no signs of a struggle. Our motive is unknown. The only suspects we have are the brother--" Wufei's eyebrows raised slightly and he tapped the folder on the table in front of him. 

"Unlikely," Trowa offered. Wufei didn't acknowledge him, but his agreement was obvious. _Grief is easy to fake... But on him...._ Trowa left the thought unfinished. Wufei was standing now, arms folded before him and stance relaxed. 

"And the boyfriend, who still doesn't have a name, nor much of a face. There's always the break-in theory, but again, she didn't panic." 

"The sweepers didn't find any fingerprints, or hairs," Wufei stepped forward and swept aside a few folders. He lifted a large clear plastic bag, sealed and labeled. He held it up to study, and looked at Trowa. "They did find a feather." He paused again and frowned. The soft, nearly transparent feather shifted in the bag. It was too long for any bird-- the lab tests and common sense had proved that. 

"A feather," Wufei repeated. He let out a short, disbelieving huff of air. "Of all the damn things..." 

"I can drop by tomorrow and see if the brother remembers anything about the boyfriend," Trowa offered. "Or if he knows what that is." He pointed loosely at the feather and Wufei shook his head approvingly. 

"Fine. Maybe we can snap at the lab boys again, see if they found anything else..." 

"Snap at them," Trowa agreed. A brief smirk passed over his lips, and he inclined his head. "Or be snapped at, which ever comes first?" 

Wufei narrowed his eyes at his lanky friend. _He surprises me too much. I should learn to be more suspicious of the man_. He couldn't help but smile ruefully as well. 

"Shut up," he replied smoothly. "They respect me, I'm their superior." 

"Of course," Trowa agreed softly. "The signs they put on your back are the epitome of respect...." Trowa grinned at his openness-- _I only seem to crack jokes at his expense. Anyone else I know would be shocked that I can talk. _

"I thought you were known as the Silent Wonder around here," Wufei complained, eyeing Trowa with dark eyes twinkling in amusement. "You sure do talk a lot for a Wonder." 

Trowa stood up and began neatening the table. He didn't reply. Wufei muttered something about recording their conversation next time and shuffled out of the office, plastic bag and feather in hand. The door slammed behind him. 

Iria Winner's last photograph ended up on the top of the last pile Trowa made. He studied it briefly, and closed the folder.   
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


It was so warm. Warm and light, bright and white. He sighed and kicked his feet gently in the air. His arms were thrown back, palms up and fingers moving faintly. There was an ever present warm breeze flowing around him, tickling the white gold hair across his forehead. It rifled over the feathers of his wings, spread aimlessly behind him. 

_I'm so lazy_, he reflected with a grin. _She was never lazy. She was beautiful, and clean. She smelled so wonderful... Like flowers..._ he laughed loudly, because he could, then quieted for his thoughts... _Her blood.... smelled so wonderful... Like copper. Copper, and flowers. _

_It's funny, that a human could die so beautifully. But she did. She was pure._ He scowled, and thrashed once in the air as if to rid himself of the thought. But it remained. _She had no right to be so pure. Humans are never pure.... _

He began to spin, slowly, almost swimming in the air. His hands paddled along, and he hovered over the floor that wasn't quite there... It was a favorite past time of angels. To float, to fly... 

_Never pure_, he repeated forcefully. _That's why she's dead. She was wrong. HE was wrong...._ Another twisted smile crawled its way onto his peaceful statement. _I killed him too. Well, he'll die eventually, and that's what he deserves_. He opened his eyes suddenly. They were very pale, and vibrant. Something other than heavenly conviction was present in his gaze. He floated on through the endless sky, watching the tell tale white clouds pass by in a lazy route...   
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


"I don't see what was wrong with the green vest, Treize," Relena shouted from within the walk in closet. She buttoned the front of her smart pale pink business suit, and neatened the collar. Turning once before the three paned mirror, she nodded. 

"The only green I like is on a rose stem. Green vests were never meant to be!" Her husband retorted. His voice rose as he stepped inside the closet and eyed Relena's slender, willowy figure appreciatively. His smile was seductive as he neared. Relena rolled her eyes at his predatory reflection and ignored him. She pulled on her matching pink pumps and studied the mirror again. Treize sniffed indignantly at the rebuff and walked back out. "I'll make sure the car's ready." 

She smiled as he disappeared from the mirror's reflection. He looked great, as always, in black. It accentuated the brown blonde highlights in his hair, and his baby blue eyes. _Had to have been the eyes I fell in love with_, she mused. _That or his impeccable fashion sense_. She paused in fluffing her hair as their private bedroom telephone began ringing, and turned to go answer it. 

"Hello?" She intoned fluidly. 

"Hello angel," a sweet familiar voice answered. Relena smiled. Quatre had called her that ever since she'd told him her story, of angels, the heavens, Guardians and the fall.... 

"Hello angel yourself," she laughed. "How are you?" Her smile muted when she heard him sigh. It was such a sad sound...._ Damn the Fates, _she swore silently. _They find the sickest pleasure in death. _

"I'm hanging in there," he answered honestly. "Duo is helping me a lot, and working helps me keep busy... I think we have a new employee, too." 

"You think?" Relena mimicked playfully. "Do elaborate!" 

"I do think, we're still interviewing him. He's... strange, but there's something about him..." Quatre stopped slowly, and Relena waited patiently. He usually fell quiet when he was thinking about something important. "Relena." 

"Yes, angel?" She smiled at his pet name, and could hear the smile in his voice as he went on. 

"You're a fallen angel, right?" 

His question was surprising. He'd refused to talk about her fantastic past after she'd explained it all on their first meeting. Of course it was all completely unbelievable, and anyone who did believe it would have been committed. _If Quatre were any other person, I *would* have been committed,_ she remembered. She wasn't. Quatre hadn't believed, but he'd accepted it. And now? 

"Yes," she answered softly. 

Another pause. "You mentioned losing your wings when you well. Were they-- cut off? Or did they just disappear? " 

"They vanished after a few years," she explained. She sat down gently on the bed, and hefted the phone base into her lap from the bedside table. His line of questioning was bizarre, especially now. _Has he seen an angel? I wouldn't think one would come, when Iria died..._ "I chose to fall, because I found love here... They just went away..." 

He was quiet yet again, but she thought he muttered 'crazy' before sighing loudly and speaking purposefully, with a small whining hint he used to get what he wanted. It was very effective. 

"Can you visit soon? Tomorrow maybe?" 

"Of course! I'd love to. Tomorrow is perfect!" 

"Great," Quatre breathed. "I have to go-- Duo might talk our first potential employee to death. Love you." 

"Love you too." She hung up slowly. _All this talk of angels,_ she reflected. ... _I love him that much_.... The ache of ghostly wings had long ago faded, and her memories were faint as well, but the reason. The decision, and Treize's love... 

Strong, warm arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind, and the comforting pressure of a dry kiss pressed against her ear. Treize settled his chin into the crook of her neck and purred slightly. 

"Just who do you love?" He pouted playfully. She leaned into his embrace and smiled a secretive, remembering smile. 

"Quatre. Oh, and you're nice too." She craned her neck and kissed his cheek soundly. With a swift turn he had her flat on her back on the bed and was ravaging her mouth. She sighed happily but pushed him away pointedly. Treize however, was not deterred. He gave her a pitiful puppy eyed look and she couldn't help giggling girlishly. 

"Look at this," she scolded. "You're tangling my hair and wrinkling my dress. How will I ever look presentable at the banquet?" 

Treize crawled off of her and shrugged handsomely. He straightened his jacket and winked at her as she pushed up from the bed. 

"You could pull off presentable in your p.j.'s," he retorted. "C'mon, we're gonna be late." 

Relena glared halfheartedly at him and followed his swagger out into the hall. 

  
  


  



	5. Chapter 5

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 5

**Stop The World  
5**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** Shounen ai of course. Have I warned you that this is my first ever mystery? *Ever*? So if this thing ends up having a weak plot, and loose ends... don't say I didna warn ya ^_~* 

  
  


  
  


  
PART 5 

"Well, Heero," Quatre Winner began politely. He folded his hands on the small round kitchen table, and smiled. I sat stiffly before him in a hard backed chair. I was unnerved by Duo Maxwell's blue-violet stare, which hadn't shifted from my face since the moment I had arrived... "Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Have you ever worked in maintenance?" 

I paused... False details of my life, my human life, drifted up in answer. I was from the city north of this one. I had moved into town three days ago... I had no previous experience in maintenance, but I was a quick learner. Quatre listened attentively to my halting narrative but he was obviously restless, pale eyes darting past me, probably to stare at the gory remains of my wings. _I guess the sight of blood and wings unnerves him_ I pondered humorlessly... It unnerved me too. 

"Well," the blonde breathed. He stood up swiftly. "I have to excuse myself for a moment, there's a phone call I have to make-- Duo can fill you in on job duties." Quatre smiled apologetically and I noticed as Duo turned from me to give his friend a puzzled look. Quatre streaked through a door leading upstairs, and a brief-- very brief-- silence followed his absence. Duo turned to me then, with a playful smile. I swallowed nervously. 

"He's so weird," he confided in me. He leaned back in his chair and tilted the front legs up. "But his sister was murdered a few days ago, right upstairs, so I can't really blame him..." Duo's smile faded sadly. I was surprised at this information. _A murder_. He kept speaking, voice low and lilting somberly. "We're both creeped that the police couldn't find any fingerprints, and there's totally no reason why *anyone* would have wanted to kill Iria... Probably shouldn't tell you that if you're going to work here." He sighed loudly, and offered me a heavy shrug, finishing the anecdote with a hopeful smile. "You are going to work here, right?" 

I hadn't moved an inch during his one-sided conversation, so now I nodded slowly, slightly distracted... _A murder, here-- I chose here from so many places... How the Fates are cruel... _

"Good, we need the help...." He trailed off, then leaned forward onto the table, clearly planning on conversing again. "Not to pry Heero-- never mind;_to_ pry," Duo added jokingly, "but aren't you dressed a little lightly for this weather? It's almost at the freezing mark today..." 

I glanced down quickly at my garb. I was cold, but I had been cold since arriving here, and so far all degrees of cold felt the same to me; numbing... My threadbare shirt was long in the sleeves and dark green while I wore simple black pants, and pinching boots. I looked at Duo's thick black shirt. It did look more appropriate for the icy weather, and there were thick overcoats hanging on wall hooks behind him. 

"I am," I agreed softly. Duo was obviously waiting for me to say more, but I didn't have anything else. My history wasn't that complete-- how was I to explain I had nothing besides what I wore, and my very empty apartment? 

"Okay," he murmured, eyes fixing curiously on my blank face. "You're hired of course. You can come in tomorrow, we've got a bunch of stuff for you to work on." He turned and called up the stairs. "Quatre!! Did you get lost?!" 

Quatre appeared seconds after Duo's call, and he scowled. Duo grinned and I stood up. Duo rose as well and thumped Quatre on the back lightly as he approached. 

"Meet the very first employee of Horizons; Heero Yuy. Pretty quiet guy, but I think he'll be a great addition to our staff!" Duo clapped his hands together eagerly. "Weren't we going to make some tree-- I mean tea?" 

Quatre laughed lightly. I was inching around the table... I was tired, and these... _Are they both part of my punishment_? I asked silently. _One sees my torment, reminding me of it... the other tries to draw me from it, with laughter and smiles... _

"I can't stay," I reported suddenly. Duo looked at me sharply, a slight frown wrinkling beneath his jagged bangs. "I've just moved into my apartment..." I trailed off in my vainly attempted excuse. 

Quatre nodded quickly however, saving me from further scrutiny. I shook his hand warmly, and Duo grabbed my shoulder, shaking it lightly and smiling.... I left them and quickly stepped out of their ringing door into a shock of winter air. I moved swiftly into the numbing wind, which numbed everything but my thoughts..... they were churning fitfully. 

_This Iria is the murder I was condemned for_... I was sure of it. The Fates were tactless. I choked a little on the biting air and stomped on through a dimming evening, back to my cold, cold haunt... 


	6. Chapter 6

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 6

**Stop The World  
6**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** This is still shounen ai. Gotta love me. This is a short take-- it didn't didn't really go well with the chapter before, and the next chapter is much better divided... My head *hurts*. My fingers *hurt*. I've never taken on anything like this before... ::cries:: 

  
  


  
  


  
Quatre watched from the back door frame as Duo swept the floor twice with a decrepit broom and stopped. The energetic young man surveyed the sales floor and nodded. 

"Looks good." He twirled around and swaggered over to where Quatre stood. Duo nodded and seemed completely at ease at being caught in his laziness. He squeezed past Quatre's small form in the doorway and leaned the broom against the wall. 

"Duo," Quatre warned. Duo paused halfway up the stairs. His face as he turned was guilty now. Quatre pointed to the broom. "In the closet." 

"Aww," Duo attempted. He slumped over the stair railing, and pouted out his lip at his resolute friend. "I'm so tiiired can't it wait till morning? I'm sure the broom won't mind!" 

Resisting the urge to smile Quatre shook his head. "The broom might not, but I do." But he didn't have to continue. Duo was already thudding back down the stairs. He offered Quatre a pitiful look at which Quatre raised nose and looked away. Duo laughed and picked up the pace to the storeroom closet. 

Quatre watched Duo disappear and frowned slightly.... _I can't believe... Heero had wings-- cut, *bleeding* wings_! He shivered slightly. _And Relena's story about the fallen angels... It can not be a hallucination_. He lightened his statement as Duo reappeared, slightly dusty but cheerfully sleepy. Quatre followed him up the stairs. They passed by Iria's door quickly, and wished each other goodnight softly... As two doors clicked shut, a dim light flared to life in the hall-- its rays were shining faintly from behind the unoccupied bedroom door... 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


He swept his hand dreamily across the white coated vanity table... His fingers left no marks in the thickly coated dust. The investigators had swept the entire room vainly for fingerprints, and now it glittered white, like snow... He drifted over to the white outline on the darkly stained floor, and sighed. 

_It still smells so beautiful in here_, he decided. A wolfish grin creased his face. _But now.... more of copper... more of blood, than flowers... _ He laughed and breathed deeper-- so much blood, blood every where-- his eyes shot open as the coppery fragrance of *different* blood flared in his nostrils. 

_*He*_ can't _be here. Not here, not here to taint this as well--_ He breathed again, cautiously, concentrating on the foreign odor.... It was..... 

He rose from the room, and returned quickly to the heavens... He was stiffening with the rage of realization, the fury that *he* dare invade.... dare be fallen, here..... 


	7. Chapter 7

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 7

**Stop The World  
7**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** I'm still warning about shounen ai? Yep. Is this a mystery yet? Enough twists? -_-* *Any* twists? 

  
  


  
  


  
PART 7 

With a bright and optimistic twist Quatre unlocked the front door and flipped over the 'Open' sign. He was surprised as a figure immediately shadowed the glass door, and he looked up with wide blue eyes. They crinkled in recognition and he pulled open the door. 

"Good morning Heero! You're right on time, on your first day--" He laughed. "That's more than I can say for Duo. We've had this shop for two years and he has yet to come in on time." 

Heero nodded and Quatre led him back into the shop. They passed through the kitchen and Quatre pushed open the storeroom door. With a sharp click the lights flickered on brightly. Quatre waved around, and sighed. 

"Nobody's ever had the time to actually give this place a good, thorough *cleaning*, so we just left it... I guess you could just start dusting--" Quatre paused to sneeze violently, and back out. He added a few hasty orders as Heero entered and began eyeing the thickly dust-coated shelves and floors. "Mops and brooms are in the closet, take your time." He sneezed again and laughed thickly. "I'm going to try to raise the dead-- also known as trying to wake Duo up." 

He abandoned Heero to his job gladly and took the stairs two at a time. After knocking loudly on Duo's door once and receiving a loud snore in response, he entered and poked the pile of blankets on the bed. 

"Duo, if you don't get up you're not going to get paid!" 

Duo snorted tiredly. "You can't get me with that one buddy-- we don't *get* paid for working, we *pay* for working... I'll get up in a few minutes..... promise......." 

_Why is it that I highly doubt this?_ Quatre shook his head and gave Duo one last poke before leaving. Halfway down the stair case the bells above the front shop door began jingling. Quatre took a flying leap and jogged the rest of the way to the counter, all smiles. 

"Good morning--" he half shouted before focusing on the customer. It wasn't a customer-- it was the quiet detective from yesterday, Lieutenant Barton. Quatre blinked in surprise and watched the man pause awkwardly at the end of the counter. 

"I'm Lieutenant Barton," Trowa began softly. He'd mistaken Quatre's surprise as hesitant recognition. "I'm here to ask you a few more questions, about your sister--" 

"Of course," Quatre interrupted, reducing his smile to a cheerful grin. _He has a nice voice_... "I remember you." He moved out from behind the cash register and halted before the Lieutenant. He looked up into the taller man's half hidden face expectantly. "What can I answer for you, Lieutenant Barton?" 

"Trowa," he blurted. "Call me Trowa, please." Trowa winced at his involuntary outburst. _Next you'll be asking him to go out for a drink_, he scolded himself. He noticed Quatre's smile was still in place as he nodded, and replied. 

"All right. Call me Quatre, then." Quatre winked, and felt a short thrill of surprise as the Lieutenant, Trowa, blushed faintly. _He's cute when he does that_.... 

Trowa nodded dumbly and reached hurriedly into his coat pocket. He pulled out the plastic bag with the feather, and held it out before him. Quatre glanced down obediently and gaped. 

"This was found at the crime scene," Trowa explained, falling naturally back into his business like attitude and tone. "Our experts need help in identifying it, Quatre." 

Quatre was stunned. The feather... _It's like the ones on Heero's back-- only they're not bleeding. Found at the crime scene-- in Iria's bedroom? Why_? 

"Have you seen this before?" Trowa pressed. "Do you know what it is?" 

Quatre found his head shaking negatively. _I can't tell him. Even if it does look like Heero's I can't be sure-- Heero's wings are gone anyway.... Could it have been.. an angel, that murdered Iria.....? _

"Quatre..." Trowa frowned down at the bowed head. He has such pale, soft blonde hair... But his statement had been all to obvious. He'd recognized the feather. "If you know something, you have to tell me. It may give us a lead--" 

"I've never seen it before," Quatre declared suddenly. He looked up with a stubborn, meaningful gaze. "I don't want to be rude, Trowa, but I think you should go. I have a store to attend." 

Trowa's attempt at staring into Quatre's crystal eyes with copious intent lasted all of two seconds. The blonde then turned, offering the back of his head to Trowa's heavy gaze. Trowa fumed slightly with aggravation, but knew he wasn't going to get anymore out of the inexorable blonde. He glared as the bells on the door rang when he stormed out of the store and down half a block to the street corner. He leaned up against a light pole and searched around briefly in the pocket of his coat. 

_He shouldn't clam up like that. That feather could be a major piece in this damned obscure puzzle_.... He thumped his cigarette pack against his palm, flipping one stick out. He pinched it gently between dry lips and rummaged around in his pocket again for a lighter. He shielded the flame from both his folded hair and the wind and took a short puff. 

_A lot of relatives get panicked when they're questioned about a loved one's death. They feel confused, horrified. Mournful and devastated._ He deepened his scowl as untimely memories presented themselves... 

His own sister's murder. It had been his first year on the force, and Catherine had been alone at their shared apartment..... He still had nightmares, about finding her on the sofa, so peaceful.... Needless to say he'd found the killer; scraping up evidence and investigating beyond the initial case. The bastard was on death row three months later. 

_Persistence pays off_, he mused dimly. _Persistence and cooperation_.... He closed his eyes as Quatre's beautiful yet melancholy gaze rose up before him again.... 

_I'll never hear the end of it from Wufei, once he finds out Quatre and I are on a first name basis..._ He took another drag and grimaced. _I knew I'd quit for a reason_. He flicked the offensive roll into the street, and stepped down from the curb, crossing the momentarily empty street. He sighed deeply. 

_He had to have such beautiful eyes._


	8. Chapter 8

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 8

**Stop The World  
8**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** Shounen ai. POV switching.  
I'm getting spooked-- I've never done a mystery and I'm panicking. ::cries:: Forgive me for any errors, I'm trying to write this as fast as I can so I won't forget everything -_-* 

  
  


  
  


  
PART 8 

I squeezed the grimy rag firmly over the water filled bucket, and rose again from my crouch on the dusty store room floor. I stretched as far as my toes would allow and began wiping away layers of dust and age from the tall metal shelves. 

It was hard work to keep bending, stretching, lifting and cleaning, but I liked it. It was thought draining, and in keeping up with the monotonous wiping-rinsing cycle, the pain in my back had receded, even if slightly, and I had forgotten about things... some... 

The top shelf finished, I threw down my rag and retrieved the misplaced boxes of merchandise. I placed them carefully, labels up, and noticed that the wares of 'Horizons' were greatly varied. From candles, to crosses; books on spiritualism, pamphlets on herb diets. And angels... Quite a lot of angel paraphernalia.... _Ironic_, I mused. 

"Call me Trowa." I turned at the hasty demand drifting in from the front of the store. "Please." 

"Alright. Call me Quatre then." Quatre's familiar voice responded patiently, and I noted absently that he sounded pleased. 

"This was found at the crime scene.... need help identifying it, Quatre." 

I felt himself moving forward, out of the storeroom and into the kitchen. My curiosity was piqued, and the silence that had followed 'Trowa's' words was pregnant with mystery. _Something from the crime scene that the police can't identify_? I frowned and neared the curtains separating me from the mystery. I pushed them aside slowly, and peered out through a small slit cautiously. 

"Quatre...?" 

_It's a feather. _

I backed up in shock. My eyes were wide and focused on the dark curtain as it moved gently back into place. Beyond the curtain... _It's an *angel's* feather it has to be_. I moved backward again, getting as far away from the feather as I could manage. The gears in my head refused to turn, to acknowledge that an angel... _It's not mine_, I realized hurriedly. _But it proves that another angel committed the crime... and blamed me...... who? Why.... _

"Heero?" 

I whirled at the tired, inquiring voice. Duo's sleepy form was padding down the stairs on silent feet. He was wearing a loose black shirt, and black shorts, revealing slim, tanned legs. I rose my heated face from staring and watched Duo descend fully. He yawned and passed by me toward the refrigerator. 

"Who's Quatre talking to?" He turned to face me with a milk carton to his mouth. I blinked and starting moving back toward the store room. _Why can't I take my eyes off of him? _

"I don't know," I answered truthfully. Duo polished off the milk and shoved the carton back. His cheerful smile was topped with a white line above his mouth. I couldn't help feeling amused... The corners of my mouth rose slightly, in a smile. _Ridiculous_, I decided. 

"Aw man," he burst out. His hand swiped the milk away from his mouth and he laughed. With a firm shove the refrigerator closed and Duo was padding over to me. I froze as he leaned past me in the doorway to glance into the store room. He leaned back and smiled at me again. _He's standing so close. He's warm-- _

"Looks great in there. I haven't been able to see the floor in months!" 

I nodded. Suddenly his fingers were pulling at my hair gently, and he'd moved close enough to press me against the wall with barely an inch between us. My jaw dropped to protest, but I knew I wouldn't... Duo held up a small fluff of dust before me then. 

"Was in your hair," he reported, flicking the dust ball into the air where it arched and drifted leisurely to the floor. He moved just as leisurely to tug on my hair again... "You've got a unique style going for you, Heero," he murmured. "Messy, but roguish." He winked at me, released my hair, and bounded back up the stairs in the time it took me to breathe again. With knees that shook I returned to the store room, and lifted the last evicted box. It was open and I stared down at its contents. 

'Guardian Angels: Where Are They?' An intricate feather was etched into the thin volume's cover. I replaced the box, disquieted.   
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Duo held open the door for the flirty customer and was giggled at. He waved and skipped back over to Quatre with a snicker. 

"Am I a ladies man or what?" He demanded. Quatre didn't even bother looking up from adjusting the receipt paper roll on the cash register for his answer. 

"Or what. Can you see how Heero's doing before you go on break?" Quatre smiled slightly as he heard Duo sniffle in indignation. 

"I'll 'or what' you, _chibi_," Duo puffed. He bolted however when a very riled Quatre looked up with the roll of paper clutched menacingly in his hand. "H e e r o! You wanna go get some coffee with me for break?" 

Bells jangled and Quatre pointedly lost interest in braining Duo. He plastered on a smile and waited for the customer to enter. 

"Angel, my angel, fly over me, angel... [1]" a soft, dreamy voice began singing as the bells quieted. Quatre upped his smile a notch and stormed out from behind the counter. Relena caught his slight figure in a bear hug and kissed the top of his soft head. "Well I certainly feel welcomed!" She felt Quatre's hug tighten briefly before he pulled away. 

"You are," Quatre sighed. 

"Wow Quatre you should see what Heero's done with the store room it's like, it was never dirty-- Relena!!" Duo emerged from the back rooms with an impressed look on his face that quickly morphed into excitement. He cheered loudly and literally bounced over to the pristine business woman. He gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek and backed off, looking around nervously. "Where's your man and his entourage? I am so sick of getting slapped upside the head because I'm affectionate." 

Relena laughed sweetly and pulled Duo back for another kiss to the other cheek. "He has a meeting, dearest, otherwise he would be here, smacking you for kissing his beautiful, talented, rich-- did I mention beautiful?-- wife." 

Laughing as Duo rolled his eyes and batted his hand dismissively at Relena, Quatre grasped her hands swiftly, and met her azure gaze pointedly. 

"I'd like you to meet someone." 

"Yeah," Duo agreed. "Heero'll knock your socks-- er, your pumps off!" He followed Relena as she was pulled firmly into the back room by Quatre. Duo parted with them in the kitchen however, and after a short moan of 'I lost my wallet!' he stomped upstairs. Relena narrowed her eyes as she entered the dim storage room, and paused cautiously as she heard movement. "Heero?" At Quatre's unsteady hail a shadow broke from the mass, and approached. Heero neared with a rather large box in his arms. Relena blinked in surprise, and watched as the handsome young man trudged into a corner and bent over to set the box down. Her gasp was swallowed up by the light thump of cardboard on concrete. 

Quatre watched Relena pale, and tightened his grip on her hand. She never took her eyes off of Heero as he approached shyly. 

"This is Heero, our maintenance man. Heero, this is Relena, she's a friend and benefactor for the shop." 

Heero wiped his hands chivalrously on his pants and shook hands with Relena. "Nice to meet you," he offered curtly. Relena pulled her hand back and nodded. He sidled back to his box and hefted it again, traveling to the farthest spot in the room and setting it down. 

"Why did you want me to meet him?" Relena whispered to her quiet blonde friend, who held her hand in an equal death grip. 

"You-- you don't see them?" Quatre murmured in alarm. "His wings?" He felt her gaze turn on him sharply. 

"*You* see them?" She demanded loudly. He nodded... With a cursory glance to Heero's figure in the back she turned and dragged Quatre into the kitchen. Holding both of his hands in hers she shook them lightly. "I can't believe it. An angel fallen by force! Do you know how rare this is?" Quatre shook his head negatively. Relena laughed breathlessly. "Of course you don't!" 

"I thought I was hallucinating," he admitted. Knowing that someone else-- someone intelligent, someone balanced-- could see Heero's wings was beyond relief. It was renewed sanity. "Why... Why are they like that? I can sense that he's in pain-- is it because of his wings?" 

Relena looked at Quatre in amazement. _He must be quite an empath, to see even an angel's misery_.... "He's suffering, but more from his fall than his wings." She glanced at the open store room door and let out a deep, shaking breath. "He must have committed some great crime to have his wings cut...." She shivered. _I can't believe he's still alive... But the Fates would have him live out this life, for penance.... _

"A crime?" Quatre repeated in alarm. "The police found a feather in Iria's bedroom-- it looked like Heero's. Relena--" he squeezed her hands tightly, uncertainty flooding across his face. "Could it be Heero's?" 

Relena was shocked. _They found an angel feather?_ "I don't know. Perhaps; but only the Guardians would know." _If *he* murdered Iria_.... Relena straightened suddenly with a decision. "I'll speak to him. I'll ask him-- he won't lie." 

She peeled out of Quatre's iron grip and marched back into the store room. She squinted to find Heero's willowy shadow, and she approached him. He tensed, sensing her nearing, but he didn't turn around... He continued cleaning the shelves, and Relena's eyes were drawn to the pitiful stumps of wings-- bone glittered white through the blood, and each feather was stripped mercilessly... 

"I'm sorry," she found herself whispering. Heero stopped moving. Relena wiped away the single tear that leaked rebelliously from her eye as he turned his head slightly to speak. 

"What?" 

"I'm fallen," she explained. "Like you.... But I chose it... What happened? Why?" She knew her questions were falling like tactless bricks but she was unable to stop them. Heero turned around fully then, and she watched him lower his eyes to her shoulders. She smiled faintly, and angled her back so he could see the absence of her wings. 

"They fade after a while," she explained. "No pain, just a few memories." 

Heero nodded, and started speaking in a low, vibrant tone. "I didn't murder her... I would never... But I was judged... I'm not positive Iria's death is what I'm faulted for, but the Fates--" 

"Have a sick sense of irony," Relena finished with a nod. "And the Guardians are always too quick to condemn. You didn't kill Iria." 

"Never," he replied firmly. "I'm not fallen--" 

She stepped forward quickly and touched his face. Sympathy sparkled thickly in her eyes. 

"I think that you are fallen, Heero," she whispered. As his statement grew dark she continued. "Being fallen isn't a bad thing. Even the heavens aren't perfect, but the Guardians won't admit that. They saw you as fallen, and you were blamed." She smiled kindly and stepped back. 

"Remember; they're not perfect." She emphasized her words by point upwards with one pink enameled finger. "The Guardians make mistakes, but they always correct them," she paused for the effect. "With a little help." Heero frowned, uncomprehending. "Help as in calling to them..." 

"I can't," he muttered. Relena's smile remained calming and assured. She brushed off some dust from the front of her blouse and met Heero's gaze shrewdly. 

"They'll listen to me if I have to scream at them. They'll correct it, Heero." She whirled around and left his steely gaze. Quatre watched her return bearing a mixed mask of expressions. One of relief, triumph, and determination. His lips couldn't help but stretch into a mirroring grin. She took his hand and led the way out front as Duo's voice exploded from upstairs. 

"Coffee!" He belted gleefully. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


_The Fates need to take a few millenniums off_, he decided as the object of his scrutiny moved slowly back and forth across the room. _They thrive entirely too much on the sardonic... _

The figure he was studying was slightly tall, and dusty. His hair was messy, uncombed and dark. He had smoldering blue eyes and a beautiful face... _It's to be expected from an angel_, he thought mockingly... He wanted to hurt him. 

_Out of all the places in the world, the Guardians put him here. They're incompetents_. He nudged one of the boxes his prey had been neatening, and watched it fall with disastrous results of scattered pamphlets and pens. The figure crouched down immediately to clean up, and paused to roll his shoulders, a slight grimace of discomfort flashing across his face before finishing the job. 

_Those wings must feel a little stiff_, he sneered. _What, with all the blood and protruding bone...._ He felt like laughing, until footsteps neared from the outer rooms. He glanced disinterestedly at the two blondes that entered, then fixed on one in particular.... 

She was beautiful. Slim, with a defined figure. Obviously very refined and polite. Familiar. v _You_, he fumed. _You still manage to torture me as a mortal, 'Relena'...._ His lips curled back in a half snarl, and he watched her disappear again after studying the poor suffering fallen angel. Moments later she reappeared, as he knew the nosy witch would. Prying as ever before she pulled his story out, and smiling like a fool. 

_You can't help him,_ he swore. _All fallen are doomed_... But her words, and her resolve, irritated him.... _You always were a problem, sister.... _   
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Duo tapped his fingers against the counter, and shot another impatient look toward the back. Quatre kept himself busy with logging the day's sales. 

"Are you done yet?!" Duo howled suddenly. "I swear all that dust will still be there when you get back!!" 

There was no reply. _Figures. If he won't talk to me, why do I expect him to *yell* to me?! _Duo sighed. 

"He likes working," Quatre related patiently. "Unlike some people..." 

"Opportunist," Duo grumbled. "Everything I say you can twist so that it sounds like *I'm* lazy." He picked up an angel shaped eraser from a small tub of angel shaped erasers and tossed it at Quatre, who caught it easily and eyed it. 

"You are lazy," he replied simply, shuffling over to replace the angel eraser. He leaned onto the counter to face Duo. "Duo." 

"Quatre," Duo sighed. He stood straighter. He knew that when Quatre said your name once, he was going to say a lot more. 

"Do you believe in angels?" 

_That I did not expect_, Duo thought. He looked down at the angel erasers, then back up to Quatre's serious statement. _I guess he's not talking about erasers... _

"I don't know." Duo heaved a sigh and pushed back a few strands of hair from his face. "I don't think about it much..." He smirked and shrugged. "You know me-- one God, name of Shinigami. But angels sound neat-- I mean, it'd be cool if there were, but I dunno... I guess until I see one, I couldn't tell you, buddy." Duo tipped slightly left and glared at the curtains. "Yo! Slowpoke! Would you rather hang with the boxes, or with a cool handsome dude like me?! Take your pick-- but if you choose the dust I'm gonna be pissed!!" 

Still nothing. Not even a 'hn', which is what Duo usually got. 

"I think he chose the damned dirt," he huffed. "I swear, Heero has some major priority problems, you know? Hey, how come Relena had to leave so soon?" 

Quatre didn't raise an eyebrow at Duo's swift change of subject. "She's a busy diplomat, Duo. She's meeting Treize for lunch, then she has three meetings to go to before seven--" 

"Okay okay, your 'angel' has a busy schedule," Duo interrupted. "Round three goes to Quatre in his attempts to make me feel lazy and guilty--" 

"I wasn't trying to make you feel lazy, Duo," Quatre replied sweetly. "I was just commenting on how *busy* Relena is--" 

"HEERO!" Duo stomped childishly and rubbed his stomach, trying to elicit pity out of either heartless friend. "I'm starving!!" He dropped his hands hopefully when shuffling sounds began in the back, but they faded away, and he sighed, looking once more to Quatre for entertainment. "I told Heero I'd take him around town tonight; maybe show him a few of the better clubs-- okay, the *only* club. Wanna come?" 

"No thanks," Quatre answered carefully, remembering the last few times Duo had decided to go clubbing... _My car never smelled the same after that_, he moaned. _I hope they plan on walking. _

"That's cool. Hey Heero," Duo greeted his Heero calmly as he finally made an appearance, and ruffled Quatre's hair before wrapping a friendly arm around Heero's neck and leading him out. 

----- 

[1] LoL, prolly no one got the significace of this song (besides the fact it's about angels).. S'okay! It's another Eurythmics song. Forgot the title ::snort:: 


	9. Chapter 9

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 9

**Stop The World  
9**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** Shounen ai. POV switching.  
I'm getting spooked-- I've never done a mystery and I'm panicking. ::cries:: Forgive me for any errors, I'm trying to write this as fast as I can so I won't forget everything -_-* 

  
  


  
  


  
PART 9 

"Which one is no mayo?" Wufei's annoyed grunt broke the comfortable silence that had fallen between the two investigators. Trowa grabbed the fast food bag from Wufei's fumbling hand, and pulled out the sandwich clearly marked with a 'no mayonnaise' sticker. Wufei took it wordlessly, and with an expert's ease unwrapped it with his teeth while steering the car in a familiar route. 

"I think," Wufei began around his first bite, "if you pry a little more after the blonde--" 

"Quatre," Trowa corrected. Wufei nodded absently and continued forcefully. 

"If you dig, *Quatre*, will eventually crack. He seems weak." 

Trowa shifted in the passenger seat to give Wufei a searching look. _He can't believe that about *Quatre*._ He said as much aloud. 

"He's stronger than he looks." Trowa offered a gentle, knowing grin. "You know better than to underestimate anyone." He wasn't answered. Wufei pressed the brakes slightly and swerved to parallel park in front of Horizons, and only a few feet from a pair of figures just exiting the novelty store. 

"Looks like big mouth and the new guy are stepping out," Wufei observed blandly. He snapped off his seat belt and pushed open his door. Trowa followed suit, and approached the pair in step with his partner. 

"'Evening," Wufei began coolly. He watched as Duo Maxwell's smile grew ten fold. A hint of unease filled the seasoned investigator. _That smile is way, way too amused._

"Hey, Mr. Wufei, Mr. Barton!" Duo crowed. He wrapped a friendly arm around his quiet friend and laughed easily. "Fancy meeting you here!" His next laugh was purposely forced. "We see you so infrequently!" 

Wufei offered a distanced scowl to the talkative man. _I knew he'd say something smart, to put me in a bad mood._ "We'll try to come around more often, and be more sociable," he growled. "Right now, Mr. Maxwell, we need to ask you a few more questions." 

Duo sighed loudly, and hung playfully off of his friend's shoulders. His statement, however, was far from playful. It was annoyed. "Why so many questions, officer? *Why* so spread apart?" 

"... We get new developments," Trowa supplied solicitously. Duo's gaze switched over to the less abrasive investigator, but the look wasn't any less brazen. "And sometimes important aspects are remembered after the crime, when the victims' lives return to a more normal state..." 

Duo's gaze remained on Trowa's solemn, trustworthy face for a moment longer, then moved to Wufei's. One arched eyebrow was raised. 

"How come you can't make stuff simple like that?" Duo snorted, then laughed outright as Wufei fumed. "All right, keep your pants on, Mr. Wu--" 

"WuFEI," he snarled. Duo sighed dramatically and straightened, neatening his friend's shirt casually. 

"I do remember something." The steam from Wufei's ears dissipated, and Duo continued quietly. "The club we're going to... Iria used to hang out there, every now and then." He shrugged slowly, and winked at Wufei. "That enough for you today, Wufei?" 

_I'm changing my name,_ Wufei decided silently. But he managed to nod once. "Where is it?" 

Duo's evil smirk returned. He pointed down the street, then pulled his hand back to cup his chin. "We, Heero and I, were just about to hoof it on down there." His indigo gaze narrowed as he eyed Wufei's innocent, sleek black car, cooling in its nearby parking space. "Why... don't you give us a ride? It'll take half as much time and you can ditch us at the door!" 

Trowa grinned as Wufei sputtered and suffered, while Duo sidled up to his car and opened the back door. He shoved his friend in and dove in after. A short exclamation about how soft the leather was made Wufei turn green. He gave Trowa a haunted look. 

"I'll assume you're staying to interrogate the blonde. Leaving me with.. with..." He didn't finish the sentence. Trowa gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, and watched them pull away. _I have to give Duo credit,_ Trowa mused. _He's the *only* person I've ever met that can do that, to Wufei..._ The car's brakes screeched once before it turned the corner and disappeared. 

Trowa turned, shaking his head in disbelief. He noticed, as he opened the door to the shop, that the bells didn't ring. Once glance confirmed that they'd been muffled for the night. He stepped further out onto the shopping floor and paused. A small, golden head was bowed over the cashier's counter. 

As he neared, Trowa remained silent. The soft sound of breathing was sweet, and hypnotic... 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
_Damn her... _ He fumed, and swung violently at the air. Tearing the clouds into shreds with his fingers. _Persisitent... *bitch*...._ She'd always been resourceful. Sharp, and shrewed. She'd made her choice ages ago, and had fallen. _For love,_ he scoffed. _One of the most impossible of human emotions. Too pure._ He drew his palms into fists and growled at the space of the heavens. 

_Love is for inferior humans. It's all they have, before death. They think it softens the inevitable._ He laughed loudly, alternating the heavenly sound with harsh screams, and drawing the pitch higher into a shrill scream. _It just makes death worse. Darker in comparison. Love isn't eternity-- Death is!_

"The fallen die," he murmured darkly. His fists opened, and relaxed. The fingers twirled calmly in the cloud-like mist... "They die..." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
It was with great fervor that Wufei elbowed open the door to the humming night club. It swung open with a protesting groan, and he fell in, stumbling further inside. He straightened quickly and whirled around to give Duo and I one last glare. 

Duo winked once, and I watched him antagonize the investigator with a flirty wave. Wufei, however, would have none of it. He melted into the impressive crowd. My eyes widened as they left his retreating figure and wandered. There were... so many people... 

"We'll take it in stride, buddy," Duo belted in my ear. He grabbed my upper arm and pulled us both toward the counter covered in empty glasses and reeking of alcohol. I eased myself onto one stool and he sat beside me happily. The bartender offered us two full glasses of a foamy substance. Duo nodded eagerly and was downing the tan liquid before the glass touched the bar. 

"Woo," he exclaimed after taking a deep breath. His eyes sparkled with the lights that flashed in time to the music. "Drink up. My mission is to get you drunk enough to talk as much as I do!" 

_I think... that he's going to be the one that gets that drunk,_ I thought. I gave a little more credit to my hypothesis as he ordered another glass, and finished it off as well. 

"How long have you been in town?" He asked suddenly. He perched neatly on his bar stool and propped his elbow on the counter. His gaze was bright and interested in my response. Much less than I was. 

"Four days," I answered softly. Duo raised his eyebrows at me, and continued his rather one sided conversation. 

"How do you like the city, so far?" He grinned cheerfully. "Pretty happenin' place huh? You made any friends? 'Sides me 'n Quatre, of course." 

His slurred speech did nothing to slow down his eagerness for answers. I answered negatively, and watched him watch me with a half grin on his face... 

"Do you dance?" 

I gave him a confused look. Dance? Then my gaze strayed to the dance *floor*... Night club inhabitants moving to the rapid beat of an exotic melody, unlike anything I'd ever heard, or seen... Or felt. 

"You are way too quiet," Duo murmured suddenly. He hummed deep in his throat, and I felt a small shiver begin in my spine... He had leaned over to this whisper in my ear... "Against my better 'judgment'," he hiccuped, "I'll go out first... You can join me if you want?" He gave an inebriated nod and dove into the mass of bodies. They embraced Duo, or he them, I couldn't tell which... But I watched. 

_How can they live with... with such abandon? Like the world wasn't turning under their feet?_ I was riveted to my chair as bodies, hundreds or maybe just tens, turned to a beat that I wasn't so sure was the music. _The motor of the world,[1]_ I assumed... I caught Duo's eye suddenly, and he waved enthusiastically, urging me to join him... But I was content to keep my distanced vigil... 

_They're all beautiful,_ I realized, a little shocked. _Just because they're living in the moment-- reckless... and free..._ I frowned. Where was Duo-- 

"Hey 'ey, Heero. I hate waiting. C'mon--" He was at my side, pulling on my arm again, dragging me into the dancers with more strength than I had accredited him. I felt his hands, warm and firm, guiding me into the deepest scene. 

"Hey," I felt him whisper. He wrapped both arms around my back and leaned close, pressing his soft lips to my ear. "Don't look like that-- like you're lost, or something... 'Cause you're not." He laughed deeply once, and the hot sound made me shiver. "You're with me. Now enjoy the moment, Heero!" 

I let out a surprised sound as he pulled me close, chest to chest and his cheek to mine. His hands were clutched at the tense space between either shoulder... Where my wings had been, and where only pain remained... My breath caught as Duo's fingers moved gently against the muscle over my upper spine... the pain faded, if only for a moment... 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
_Just when I think everything about this case is as screwed up as it can get, this new guy shows up. Heero._ Lieutenant Chang snorted softly. The guy was quiet. Too quiet, and mysterious... _I doubt research could find anything solid on him._

"Help you?" Wufei wrinkled his nose as the bartender belched after his offer. Cool onyx eyes zeroed in on the obese man wearing a tight heather gray shirt that should have been illegal as it tucked itself firmly between rolls of fat located randomly around the man's midsection. 

Snapping out his wallet and badge, Wufei initiated the no-nonsense-I-want-answers-now approach he'd devised during his hellish car ride here. "I've got a few questions." 

The bartender's flat brown eyes widened. With greedy interest. Wufei resisted the urge to roll his eyes, and continued. 

"I'm investigating the murder of a woman by the name of Iria Winner. I've been told she wasn't a regular here, but maybe you'd remember her?" Another swift twitch of his hand had a clear, color portrait of the late Iria Winner, smiling and laughing, not a week before her death. 

The bartender leaned close to the photo, and scratched the back of his neck in thought. Several seconds of irritating scratching noises later, he straightened. 

"Sure. Saw her like, two weeks ago." His face twisted up in a wrinkle wrought grimace. "Can't believe she's dead. Sick world, man." 

Wufei agreed silently. _Very sick._ "Two weeks ago? Was she with anyone else?" He twisted around and pointed out a very prominent dancer, one with a slim gyrating body and a long braid. "How about him?" 

"Duo? Yeah, sure. He comes in all the time..." Wufei watched the rotund man pause, and scratch again at that mystery itch on his neck. His flakey brows furrowed in scrupulous Neanderthal speculation... "There was another guy too. Real ladies' man. With like, white hair almost. I think he was pickin' up on her, Iria, too." 

Wufei's attention sharpened. A description! _As much of one as we're going to get, anyway--_ "Can you give me a name? Anything else about the way he looked, or acted? Did he have an accent?" 

"Whoa," the bartender protested. He held up two beefy hands and offered a sheepish grin to Wufei's eager barrage of questions. "Like I said, it was two weeks ago. I barely remembered he had white hair..." Something akin to deep thought flashed across the man's weathered face. Wufei waited eagerly... "But I remember the girl-- Iria-- called him somethin' really bizarre. Like a street name, maybe..." 

"Do you know anyone else who might have any information? Other friends, another worker here--" 

"Nah. I'm the only one runnin' this joint. An' Iria pretty much stayed to herself, and her friends. I remember thinkin' that wasn't right, her bein' such a nice piece of work--" 

"Thank you." Wufei interrupted. "Mr..." 

"Ralph," the bartender beamed. "Just Ralph! Glad I could help! Poor chick. I knew that dude wasn't right for her-- he was like... He never let her out of his sight. Damn, what was his name?" 

Wufei offered a thin, slightly pained smile and pulled out one of his office cards. He slid it across the bar and tapped it pointedly. "Please, call me if you remember _anything._" 

"Flex? Nah... Okay!... Was it... Pecks? It had an S in it--" A sudden light appeared in Ralph's eyes, making them twinkle with delight. His version of an epiphany. "_Zechs_. I knew it was weird. Zechs; she called him Zechs!" 

_Finally, something concrete._ "You're sure?" Wufei watched as Ralph nodded emphatically. "Zechs, spelled Z-e- oh you wouldn't know." Ralph nodded again, and watched the Lieutenant make a small notebook materialize from beneath his trench coat. A pen flashed into being as well, and Wufei jotted down the note eagerly. 

"Thank you, Ralph," Wufei declared sincerely. He glance down to the end of the bar, and stared. "One more question." His pen angled in the same direction of his gaze, and Ralph turned attentively. "Have you ever seen the guy at the end of the bar, with the messy hair?" 

"Nah. He's with Duo though, isn't he?" Ralph twisted his head back to a less strenuous degree, and found the Lieutenant moving away, melting into the sea of dancers. 

Wufei fled from his interrogation and offered one last glance toward Heero. Duo was pulling him onto the dance floor with drunken zeal. As Wufei moved deeper into the crowds his perspective vanished, and his body slithered between the dancers, heading for the door. 

------------------------  
End part 9 

[1] This line is borne from the summary of a book I have yet to read. Titled, 'Atlas Shrugged', author Ayn Rand. Lovely writer. Quite an influence to my style... -_- But you can't really tell... 

  
  



	10. Chapter 10

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 10

**Stop The World  
10**

  
Shounen ai Gundam Wing   
**Warnings:** Shounen ai. POV switching.  
I'm getting spooked-- I've never done a mystery and I'm panicking. ::cries:: Forgive me for any errors, I'm trying to write this as fast as I can so I won't forget everything -_-* 

  
  


  
  


  
PART 10 

"Quatre?" 

The small blonde head resting on the counter jerked suddenly, and Quatre sat up. His eyes were wide, slightly frightened. They softened as he focused on Trowa's familiar face, but he didn't smile. 

"I'm sorry--" he wiped at blurry eyes and moved away from the counter. "I didn't hear you come in. Duo just left--" 

"We met him outside," Trowa offered softly. Quatre nodded and moved past the detective to where a book had fallen to the floor from its niche in the shelf. He replaced it and moved along the wall shelves, straightening, dusting a little. Keeping his back to Trowa, and hoping faintly that he'd leave... Or that he'd stay. 

_I should make up my mind,_ Quatre decided humorlessly. He rubbed his eyes again. They were puffy from lack of sleep and an interrupted nap. He also had a terrible crick in his neck from resting at such an awkward angle... 

"Do you have more questions?" He inquired suddenly, trying to break the pregnant silence. _I'm so tired of questions... I'm just *tired*..._ He slowed his rapid movements as he neared end of the wall, and leaned his arm on the nearest level. His head lowered as a nauseating wave of fatigue practically floored him. His knees wavered. 

A soft, guiding pressure at his elbow startled him, and he looked up in surprise. Trowa wrapped an arm around Quatre's shoulders, and began moving him in the direction of the back apartments. The support was a comfort... Something Quatre hadn't felt in days. He was shaking by the time Trowa sat him in one of the kitchen chairs, and hovered beside him. 

"Do you have coffee? Or tea--" Trowa moved toward the kitchen. 

"Tea. It's ready to heat up on the stove..." Trowa disappeared into the small kitchenette. Quatre watched the doorway for a moment, then blushed. 

_I should feel like an invalid, right now... But it's more like he's taking care of me._ The thought was bizarre. Unprovoked even... But it was nice to think about... His blush remained as Trowa returned, and settled into one of the chairs across from Quatre. 

"Thank you." Quatre began quickly. He folded his trembling hands carefully in his lap, and offered a tentative smile. "I haven't been sleeping well." 

Trowa nodded slowly. It showed. There were haunted circles beneath Quatre's eyes, and his small, full lips were tugged down slightly at the corners. Trowa shook himself from his wandering scrutiny of Quatre's lips, as a soft sigh escaped from them, and made Trowa swallow hard. 

"Have you... found anything else?" Quatre let out a dubious puff of breath, not quite a laugh. "I should ask *can you tell me*, if you've found anything else." 

The pause before Trowa's answer stretched out to an unnerving half second of silence. Trowa looked up from his examination of the table top, and faltered. 

Quatre's head was lowered, so that his feathery blonde hair shadowed his eyes. But Trowa didn't need to see them. A single rogue tear fled down Quatre's silky cheek. Not a sound came from him; neither a sob, nor the sound of his shallow breathing. 

"I'm sorry," Quatre erupted brokenly. He swiped angrily at his face, and stood up. Trowa rose as well, and he held out his arms unconsciously, even as Quatre turned away and fled into the kitchen. Trowa hesitated. He'd flattened his arms back to his sides but the ache remained. He wanted to hold him. Very much... 

Before he could follow Quatre's flight, the blonde reappeared with two steaming mugs of a caramel colored liquid. His eyes were dry now, and he didn't shake as he sat one mug of tea before Trowa, then slid into his abruptly vacated chair, mug fastened neatly in his hands. 

_Stronger than he looks,_ Trowa mused. He sipped obediently at his tea, downing half of it even if it did taste like tree bark... He settled the warm glass back onto the table, and leaned forward to speak. 

"My sister was killed, about five years ago." _This story is so old... Even if I've never told anyone..._ "I found her in my apartment." Trowa's eyes rose purposefully, and met with Quatre's wide, sparkling stare. "We found the killer... It took a little time, but we found him and I... had peace..." Trowa trailed off, wondering how something so true could sound so lame. "As corny as that sounds, I did. And we'll figure out what happened to your sister. These things have a way of falling into place with the right clues, and persistence..." 

Quatre nodded. He'd been silenced by Trowa's halting admission. _How terrible... _ He smiled softly, sadly, because it was the only thing he could offer. Except... 

"Would you like more tea?" 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
The faint light behind her eyelids was annoying... _Did Trieze have the lamp on, reading at midnight again_? Relena let out a small moan of annoyance and sat up. Eyes that had been deep in slumber cracked open, ready to glare murderously at the love of her life. 

But his half of the bed was dark. The long, vague shape of him beneath the pink comforter was breathing slowly, obviously deep in sleep. She frowned in confusion and moved her glare from the darkened part of the room to her side, lit with a pale, unfamiliar light. 

Her heart leapt crazily in her chest, and she smashed one hand over her mouth to keep in a terrified scream. Recognition came after the first initial shock, and she glanced over at Treize nervously. 

"He's asleep, Relena," a voice from her past cooed. "I made sure your love was fast asleep before I came to visit..." 

"Visit, brother?" She hissed through her fingers. "How kind of you, after all these years." 

The glowing vision hovering beside her bed smiled unattractively. It was more of a smirk, one that she recognized all too well. 

"What do you want?" 

Feigning hurt, her brother drifted down from his royal height, and sat at her feet on the bed. He gave Relena a not-quite-pitiful look... It quickly morphed into a sharp stare, with darker undertones... 

"Stay out of it, Relena. He killed the girl. Angels are capable of lying-- or have you forgotten that? Like you said, it's been several years..." 

Relena mirrored her brother's sharp tone. "If you're referring to Heero, I know he didn't kill Iria." 

Her brother scowled. She was shocked. He'd made some rather nasty faces in the past, and he had quite a mean streak, but angels were never known to frown, or glare so intensely. Her hands curled up in fists on top of the blanket. 

"He killed her," he insisted. "The Guardians are never *that* wrong. Never. Just stay out of it, dearest sister. You'll make life for poor 'Heero' a lot harder if you interfere." He rose again, and floated nearer with a more confidant smirk tracing its way from smooth lips to his eyes... 

Relena leaned back unconsciously, furthering herself from the angel that should have been harmless... The angel with the dangerous smile... 

"I don't know what your interest in this is, brother... I can't see how you're so convinced Heero is guilty. No one knowing of their guilt would be so miserable..." She paused to take a determined breath. "You can see it in his eyes." 

Her brother visibly flinched at her confidence. His body moved back, fading slightly into the shadows of the room, but not yet retreating. 

"Eyes can lie," he insisted. But the uncertainty in his voice was tangible. Relena couldn't resist giving him a mockingly sympathetic smile. 

"You're so sure, brother. What-- did you rise to Guardian Status after I left?" 

The faint heavenly light that just tinted the room golden flared, fire-like. Her brother hissed warningly. 

"You always were an interfering little _snob_ Relena! Believe me, _fallen_. Leave Heero and his Hell well enough alone. Every fallen deserves as much-- they're the worst heaven has ever borne. _Leave it alone!_" 

He vanished... The room plunged back into its pre-dawn darkness, and in it Relena shivered. Her heart had begun to race when he'd lunged at her, his eyes a confused mix of hatred and fear. 

"Mmn nn Relena....?" 

Immediately she slid back down beneath the blankets, and edged closer to Treize's seeking arm. With one firm tug he had her pressed close to his side, protected and near enough to nuzzle her neck. She gripped his arm tightly and wondered at the dark... 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
Duo was completely drunk. 'Wasted', as he called it. And very. Somehow he managed to tell me what streets to drag him down to get back to the shop. He was laughing at how funny Wufei had been in the car... How Quatre wouldn't let him use *his* car because of the last time he'd gotten drunk. 

"Upholstery was never the same," Duo sighed. He squeezed his arm around my neck and tripped for the hundredth time... He smelled like liquor, but he was warm... 

I stopped abruptly in front of the Horizons shop, and watched curiously as Duo dug out a key from his pocket, and proceeded to attempt sticking it in the lock. 

"You can help now," he muttered thickly. His head angled up and grinned at me. I took the key from his hand obediently, and had the door open in seconds. Duo cheered and fell in. 

"Quatre is probably sleeping," I told him softly. Duo clambered up from the floor and nodded, then began giggling. I grabbed his arms before he fell in a heap on the floor, and began the long trek upstairs, assuming I could figure out where he slept... I paused at the first door in the upstairs hall and moved to open it. 

"No-- don't." It was Duo talking. He sounded completely sober... I pulled my hand away, comprehending... Iria's room. Duo pointed me to the next closed door and I ferried him inside. 

"Hmmm nice bed... Pillows," he sighed as I positioned him on the bed. One flop later he was sprawled out and snoring. I smiled a little, because he was ridiculous... 

_And beautiful..._ My hand moved of its own volition and pressed gentle fingers to his jaw. Soft, and warm. _I haven't felt warm since... falling..._ My fingertips were cool when I pulled away, but I set myself to tasks other than admiring beauty. I peeled Duo's heavy boots off, and yanked one of his blankets over his sweetly slumbering form. I didn't linger... though I wanted to... I locked the door on my way out and I sighed at the cold air. _I don't like the cold._

As I jogged the distance from my place of work to my place of residence I decided that I didn't like the dark, either. Mostly, though, I didn't like being alone. It was an unpleasant state to be in... I ran up the steps to my apartment, and closed the door behind me eagerly. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
"Blondie-- I mean 'Quatre' is pretty good at avoiding your questions." 

Trowa couldn't reply. Wufei was right... And it wasn't entirely Quatre's fault. _I can't press him. Damn I'm weak._ He muted his sigh as something began to materialize from the dark street. It was a pair of stumbling figures, and a single long braid of hair swinging behind either of them. 

Wufei snorted. "I never doubted he'd be a noisy drunk. Thank God I got out of there before they wanted a ride home..." He quieted as the two passed the car, and tripped up to the shop door. They entered moments later, and Wufei let out a low, annoyed growl. 

"I don't like this new guy. Get research on him. And the name 'Zechs'..." Wufei stopped and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. 'Heero' stepped out of the Horizons shop and began jogging down the street. One sharp turn of the key had the car purring and flowing down the road at a snail's pace, staying just far enough behind its quarry, and just close enough... 

Wufei braked quickly, and squeezed into a parking space that his car really didn't fit into. Heero had stopped just outside a brownstone that no longer looked like a building. It was more like a convenient pile of stone and mortar. Trowa watched with his partner as the mysterious young man entered the building... 

Suddenly Wufei leaned forward, face pressing into the driver's side window. A moment later he was bursting out of the door and sprinting across the street. Trowa scrambled out of his seat and placed a firm hand over his holster as he took off after Wufei. 

_Son of a bitch--_ Wufei cursed the cold night air as he ran, and cursed again out of habit as his feet thudded to a hard stop. The knees of his slacks ground unpleasantly into the concrete as he knelt. He heard Trowa approach in a much quieter fashion. Without lifting his eyes he held out one impatient hand. 

"Gimme a bag." 

Trowa obeyed without hesitation. He'd grown used to Wufei's abruptness, and near encrypted method of posing orders. He dug around quickly in his coat and slapped a small plastic evidence bag into Wufei's waiting palm. Trowa stayed a few feet back, keeping an anxious vigil and letting Wufei finish with his find. He couldn't help the small tick of excitement he felt-- _What the hell could he need an evidence bag for--_

Finally Wufei stood, shaking the plastic bag tantalizingly. The plastic shimmered yellow from the dim street light. Wufei turned with a grim smile, and raised it enough for Trowa to focus. His wide green eyes shifted to Wufei's, and blinked. 

"What the hell," Wufei agreed. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  


  
  


  
They were so eager. _And it's funny that they should suspect *him*... Well, not funny. Only natural. He's tainted, after all._ He smiled with satisfaction as the one of the law keepers knelt excitedly, while the other hovered behind him. Their speech following the find was soft and tense. He kept his smile when their automobile hummed to life, and disappeared into the night. 

The outdoor scene now finished, he rose and passed through the ugly building where his prey dwelt. It was hideous. Filthy. Perfect for dirt like him... And he was asleep, sprawled like a lazy human on his bed... making terrible sawing sounds... 

_There is one thing that you are perfect for,_ he decided. _Falling. Condemned in Heaven... and on Earth._ His face twisted happily. _And you don't even try!_ He wanted to laugh... Instead he drew closer to the slightly shivering figure on the bed. His fingers slid lightly along the most destroyed parts of crimson wings. Where the slashes bled. This wonderfully red substance coated his fingers, and he smiled. 

'Heero' shifted in his sleep, and curled his limbs tighter... 

_No where to go, 'Heero'... No where for the fallen..._


	11. Chapter 11

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 11

**Stop The World  
11**

  
**Warnings:** A.U. Shounen ai, 1x2, 3x4... I think I've already said that.... -_-;; Enjoy the show-- er fic. o__O;;

  
**PART 11**

Her nose wrinkled in displeasure as she rose with dawn, and strode into the bathroom on two dainty, bare feet. The marble tile floor was appallingly cold. But a little discomfort had never deterred her. She was a lady on a mission. The door clicked shut behind her.

Relena took a deep breath, and smiled. The bathroom smelled like Treize's cologne, with a dash of her own body lotion... A comforting, calming concoction. Her sigh was light, and her voice firm, but soft. The mirror spoke back with twin lips, eyes and heart. 

_I haven't spoken to them in so long... Who knows if they're even listening anymore? _ But she knew there was always an ear. Some angel, watching, and always someone to hear a plea. The heavens heard everything, and if the message was deep enough, they acted. 

_You'd better act on this,_ she grumbled. _I didn't get up this early to talk to a mirror and stare at myself without make up!_ Her reflection nodded. 

"You're wrong about Heero." Relena frowned. _That didn't come out right. What happened to the World Leader, speaker of war-ending speeches?_ Undaunted, she continued. 

"Look deeper into it. You can't condemn him wrongly, that's cruel..." Relena tilted her head slightly, remembering Heero's blue eyes... "Let him fall on his own..." She nodded at the finality of her last whisper, and turned from the mirror. She left the bathroom to its dawn inspired darkness, and sought instead the warm circle of blankets she'd left. 

The warm circle of blankets was not there. Treize had rolled over in her short absence, and had commandeered the entire bed. Relena stood at the end and scowled. 

"You are so getting my freezing toes up the back of your boxers," she murmured. 

  
  


  


  
  


"From a fallen? How can it be believed?" 

"They're no longer heavenly-- we can't just go around panicking at every pack of lies a fallen angel has to tell us--" 

"How can she have the gall to doubt a Guardian's decision? They are the ultimate judgment--" 

The intensity of the murmured debate rose and fell like waves. Agreement closed in from all sides, then subsided as a single slender hand rose. The muffled hall of marble came to attention. 

"He has been condemned," a voice declared. "Nothing further on this matter will be tolerated--" 

"An investigation, Guardian..." The small voice coming from the back of the hall pierced the respectful lull in conversation. Her words were offered slowly, so as not to antagonize the distinctly opposed. "An investigation would assure the correctness of the judgment. It would reassure the Echelon." 

She was ambitious. Maybe too, but this chance was too much to pass on. _If I can prove this case to a thread I'll be in for Guardian Status by the end of the semester!_ She offered a muted smile to the disapproving council of angels. 

"Preposterous," one of the middle class Guardians denounced. He raised his thin nose, and looked upon her with electric blue eyes. Daring her to speak further out of her turn. 

"Necessary," she parried coolly. "The hall is known for its ultimate justice, for it's thorough investigations to secure all parties." She paused to take a dramatic but meaningful breath. "Think of the consequence, Guardian, if the Fates have decided to play one of their games, again... think, if the judgment was incorrect..."

She was no longer speaking to the lower Guardian. Her voice had shifted directions and she was staring at the head of the council, who watched her with a blank face. She did not tremble beneath his unbearable stare. At long last the Guardian spoke. 

"What do you propose, angel?" 

  
  


  
  


Duo decided that Mondays were miserable. They really were. Early in the morning everyone was at work, including himself. No one *ever* came into the store... _There's nothin' to do....._ He paused in that thought as soft footsteps approached, and passed through his line of vision. Heero. 

_The proverbial 'speak of the devil'._ Duo rose obediently. It was his job to annoy the maintenance man. Well, Quatre and Heero would disagree... Duo smiled wickedly. 

"Heeeeeeero." After a pleasant enough wail of the lovable worker's name, Duo pranced up beside him. The quiet young man continued to repeat the boring motion of shelving Horizons' most popular item, daily horoscope booklets. Duo began his daily barrage cheerfully. 

"So Heero, how come you wear your hair like that? Even though I have to admit the 'I-Don't-Need-A-Brush' look is really you... What's wrong with your back? Got aching muscles?" He stopped chattering to place two firm hands on Heero's tense shoulders. He began to knead the rock hard muscles even as something else got rock hard-- *thunk* 

He let go immediately, and replaced his palms on the top of his aching head. Whining ensued as he turned around and glared at Quatre. Object of assault: book. Big, thick, smelly old book, cracked upside Duo's head. Worked every time. 

"Leave the employee alone," Quatre warned. "If he has to put up with you everyday, it could be considered hazardous to his health, and then I'd have to raise *two* salaries to include hazard-pay." 

Duo rubbed his head, and offered Quatre a befuddled expression. "Two?" 

Quatre raised one pale eyebrow, as if expecting this. His smirk was quite fulfilled. He pointed to Heero. "One." 

And gestured to himself with his free thumb. "Two." 

Duo mimicked Quatre's raised eyebrow. Nice one, the eyebrow seemed to say. He left the sales floor and returned to his slumped over watch at the cash register. Moments later, however, he sat up excitedly when the door bells jingled and a new body entered. Duo's welcoming and all encompassing smile faded, once he recognized their visitor. He folded back onto the counter, and eyed Detective Barton. 

"Glad to see you're not busy," Detective Barton began slowly. His gaze rolled over the empty floor, falling on Duo, pausing at Quatre, and stopping to watch Heero finish shelving storeroom items. Heero's gaze met with the investigator's, then lowered to the ground. "I--" 

"Let me guess," Duo interrupted with a long suffering sigh. "You've got some questions." He had already sauntered out from behind the counter, and had begun to adjust one of the signs on the front door. He flipped it over to offer the empty street 'Out/In To Lunch'. 

"A few questions," Trowa agreed. "Just the two of you... Could we step into the back room?" 

"Of course," Quatre conceded. He motioned for Duo and Trowa to move first, then followed after a soft call. "You can take a break if you'd like, Heero..." 

  
  


  


  
  


I finished my work quietly. All of the shelves were filled with merchandise, and my box was empty... I slid through the dividing curtains hesitantly. Three closed faces greeted me, and only one smile. It wasn't from Duo, and I could tell Quatre meant well from it, but it just made me nervous. I moved as quickly as I could into the storeroom, and I paused in the middle, listening to them speak. 

"You've mentioned that Ms. Winner never spoke of her boyfriend, yet she was definitely seeing someone." 

Duo and Quatre must have nodded, or made some answering gesture because no sound erupted otherwise. I turned my ear so that I picked up the nervous shifting of someone's chair. 

"Did you ever hear the name 'Zechs' from Ms. Winner, or anywhere else?" 

The next pause was more hesitant, filled with thinking. I turned around fully when Duo began to speak in halting tones. I noticed that I was still holding the empty box. 

"Maybe... I have a thing for remembering names... Might have heard it at the club or something." Duo sighed shortly, and shifted. "That's all I remember. Nothing about who this 'Zechs' was, or what he looked like." 

"Hn," Trowa offered. I heard the distinct sound of a swift pen on paper before he spoke again. "Thank you... Now about your new employee. You must have gotten him just a few days ago." 

"Three days ago," Quatre agreed. "Heero couldn't have arrived at a better time." 

"Yes," Trowa agreed slowly. "What can you tell me about him?" 

I frowned. _Me?_

"About Heero?" Duo squeaked. "Why do you want to know about him? He didn't know Iria." 

"How do you know that?" Trowa inquired softly. "You said that Iria never spoke about her love life--" 

"I know," Duo snapped. "Heero's cool. Dude's quiet-- you gonna arrest him for being quiet?" 

"Duo," Quatre warned. I moved finally from my frozen position. I shoved the empty box in a miscellaneous space and picked up another. I made sure my rapid movements drowned out the rest of what the investigator had to ask, and what Quatre and Duo had to tell... The last I picked up was a swift 'good-bye' and the ringing of bells. 

_I'm a suspect,_ I thought. _Or maybe just *suspected*._ Either way... _Suspicion made me fallen the first time..._


	12. Chapter 12

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 12

**Stop The World  
12**

  
**Warnings:** A.U., shounen ai, 1x2, 3x4, Rx13, sap, mystery, I'm so boring. Yep. Lots of POV switching =^^=. This part has a smidgen of violence in it. Nothing too gory. But I'm still morbid. Mwahahahahaha... ._. Carry on.

  
PART 12 

The way she put on her make up made him sick... The way her lips pursed, and she smiled. Her hair was shining like spun gold, and she was eager for another chance to speak her mind, at another convention, to another group of mindless human politicians... 

_It's bad enough she fell for love,_ he grumbles. _She also fell for love of a man that likes to talk as much as she does..._ He stopped his bellyaching, however, in favor of a black smirk. _All the better to find my sister alone, while love is out... That's the thing with love. It goes to work._

"Relena." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


She would have screamed, if not for her incredible self control. She did, however, gasp, and her heart did a painful somersault from mid chest to halfway up her throat. Relena tensed when ghostly fingers lowered themselves to her shoulders. They caressed the expensive silk of her blouse, and she shivered. 

"Hello, sister," he cooed. One of his hands rose, and Relena flinched. An instinctive reaction... _I'm afraid of him,_ she realized. _Afraid of my brother, an angel..._ But her disbelief was thin... And she cringed as he stroked her reflection in the mirror. 

"Humans and their prayers," he sighed into her ear. "They're so earnest! So desperate... Even the fallen call to heaven, for aid... Don't you know, Relena..." He leaned closer to her ear. She could feel his cool breath tickling the tendrils of hair on her neck. "... they're deaf to the fallen..." 

His words made her furious. Seething, because he was so prejudice-- _and always so sharp with his tongue. _

"Why are you here, brother?" She demanded. Her voice wavered, and she scowled at her weakness. "You're loitering. What do you want? For me to stay away from Heero?" She tilted her head, and stared in the mirror at the space over her shoulder. Her brother's reflection was just a small white smudge in the air, like mist. 

"Tell me, brother. What would it matter, to you, if I decided to help Heero? He's guilty, right? What can I change if I ask the Guardians to investigate? He's guilty, don't be so worried," she added sarcastically. Her eyes brightened suddenly, and suspiciously. "Why *are* you so worried? Dearest brother." And she wondered... "What are you hiding?" 

His other hand returned to her shoulder, and his grip tightened. Not enough to cause pain, but firm enough to direct all of her attention to him. 

"I'm not worried at all, sister," he purred. "Nothing at all to hide. I'm a good little angel..." He laughed... Relena shivered at the sound. It wasn't the sound that an angel made. "Heero, on the other hand, was not a good little angel. But you had to doubt the Guardian's decision, didn't you? You had to push a little farther! Dig a little deeper into something you should have kept your nose out of!!" 

_He's screaming._ Her breath caught as the fingers on her shoulders tightened, and began to hurt. She reached to peel them off, but their form only ghosted away, and returned full force. 

"He's going to fall again. He _has_ to fall again-- he has to DIE Relena!! Die because he's wrong-- he's wrong like she was wrong like she was WRONG Relena!!" He began to laugh again, in shrill, terrifying bursts. 

_What is he talking about--_

"Zechs killed her..." He whispered. "She was so beautiful.... Have you ever smelled blood, Relena? Did you know-- that it could smell like flowers?" 

Her stomach lurched warningly. _Blood like flowers? Oh God-- he *killed* someone?!_

"She was too pure for the earth... And Heero was infected. Yes. An infection, in heaven... What better way to bring him down, Relena? Two little angels, one bullet.... four, actually, but you understand. You're a quick one, sister. Quick." 

She couldn't decide whether to vomit, or to scream. Her brother's hands had moved their iron grip from her shoulders to her neck, pressing firmly on the delicate skin there. Feeling the pulse throb faster and faster as he held tight, and kissed her temple. 

A single, horrified whimper escaped her throat. She was quick, with facts. Iria... Her brother had killed Iria.... _And he brought Heero down for it. A complete innocent..._

"It's Heero's turn to die... " He paused, and in the mirror Relena's eyes focused to meet his. "Or maybe it's yours...." _He's insane--_

His advantageous grip on her neck tightened, and panic finally registered. Relena could only breathe once as he pushed her forward. She felt the resistance of the large vanity mirror slam into the top of her head. Her brother shoved harder. The mirror gave way with a shuddering smash, and the pain began. So darkness came for her. 


	13. Chapter 13

tantrys - ffiction - stop the world - 13

**Stop The World  
13**

  
Title: Stop The World Part 13  
Rated: PG-13?  
Warnings: A.U., shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13 [that was weird to write], weak storyline, cliché storyline, and a lot P.O.V. switching... what did I forget... No angst. I could call it drama... And sap. I think they're all in character...

Description: An angel is accused of a horrible crime, and is banished to Earth where the truth plays out. This was supposed to be a mystery/thriller with no real suspense or thrill to it... The plot is weak ::grumble:: ^^

**PART 13**

_This doesn't make sense..._

She could hear the ambulance screaming away with the fallen angel. Also known as Relena Peacecraft, activist, advocate, beauty... She hadn't cared to watch them take away the body. She was more interested in the police activity swarming the estate. Especially the bathroom. 

The amount of blood was horrendous. No human could have survived... She watched the men and women in uniforms eye the soiled place, and shake their heads. Someone had dusted for fingerprints, on the counter, on the walls, on the mirror... 

There were hand prints. But these were without papillae. Only a faint shimmering film revealed itself. And that would be gone in a matter of hours... It was an angel. 

_The Guardian was wrong,_ she wondered. _Amazing.... _

She left the blood to the humans. They would draw inconclusive ends. 

_But I am going to crack this. I'll restore the hall's reputation and I'll rise to Guardian when I've done it._ She smiled as she arrived at her next destination. Her feet solidified and touched the hard concrete sidewalk. There was a slight bustle of pedestrian traffic around her, but no one noticed the new feminine figure as it materialized on the curb. 

Her wings shrank accordingly, and her smile transferred to her temporary human form. She, the human, was reflected in an attractively lettered store window. 'Horizons'. Beyond it were faint figurines and figures... She opened the door. 

Pleasant bells heralded her entry. One of the young men behind the service counter smiled a greeting. The brother to the first murdered, she identified. Keeping with the guise of a simple shop-goer she rifled through trinkets on a table... 

_There's blood in the air,_ she noted faintly. A new person appeared from the back of the store, and was greeted by friendly hails... 

"Hey, Heero! C'mon lets get some coffee before Quatre changes his mind about giving us lunch off." 

"Yes," Quatre sighed. "You know I never let you off for lunch. I'm such a slave driver." 

She almost gasped out loud. The fallen angel was here. She stared openly at what remained of his precious wings. She saw the blood that tainted the air, and she shuddered.... 

"We'll be right back Q--" the man with the long hair chirped. "If you need us just dial up Freddie's." He was already at the door, dragging the fallen angel, not minding the massive wounds marring a perfect back-- _but they can't see it,_ she realized... _his pain is his alone... forever... Her resolve was strengthened. _

"Alright," the blonde one waved. Bells shrilled and she faced him fully. He smiled patiently at her. 

"Can I help you, miss?" 

  
  


  
  
  
  


  
  


Quatre watched the tall, pale woman curiously. She didn't seem like one of his regular customers. She was too... confidant. She held her head high, her brows arched royally, and she stalked toward his counter with a purpose. 

"I'm Detective Dorothy Catalonia, I'm with the investigation of your sister's murder. I'd like to ask you a few questions." 

_What an old line,_ Quatre decided with a sigh. _.... I wonder why Trowa didn't come..._ "Ask away," he replied aloud. _They're incessant... But like Trowa said. Persistence pays off.... obviously, persistence on their part... _

Dorothy smiled blandly. "Alright, Mr. Winner. Here's a rather direct question. Who do *you* suspect?" 

Quatre was surprised. He expressed as much in the way his mouth quirked, and moved without speaking at first. "Who do I suspect? That's new.... Well... Iria-- her boyfriend is the only one I could think of. I never met him, so who knows if he was psychotic or not." He swallowed around a familiar lump in his throat, then forced his words to continue. "Trowa-- Detective Barton mentioned that his name might be 'Zechs'...?" 

Dorothy nodded eagerly. Quatre fidgeted when she didn't continue her interrogation... Then he posed one of the questions he knew neither Trowa nor Detective Chang would answer for him... 

"Have you found out anything new, about the feather?" 

The Investigator's reaction wasn't one he expected. Her clear eyes widened; he could have sworn they began to shimmer. She looked as if she wanted to ask him the same question, but stopped. Her flat smile made a reappearance, and she began to move toward the exit. 

"Feather. No, nothing new yet, Mr. Winner. We'll contact you as soon as we get anything new." 

"B--" Quatre's protest was interrupted by the violent ring of the door bells, and the abrupt absence of Dorothy Catalonia. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


Duo watched Heero shiver. He didn't like it. Not one bit. 

"So, you're telling me that you don't have a coat. Not even a sweater?" Duo's jaw dropped dramatically as Heero nodded. "Heero!" _I feel like slapping him upside the head, but it wouldn't solve anything._ Instead, he did what he did best. He talked. "Why don't you have a coat?" 

Heero's statement was one of the ones that made Duo want to hug him. It was lost. A lost statement, and no matter what he did, Heero still looked lost. "I don't have anything." 

"Heero." Duo stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and tugged at Heero's shirt to get him to look up. After the slight confusion faded from Heero's eyes, Duo smiled gently. "Quatre would have given you an advance paycheck. You're our friend, man. We'll take care of you!" 

Duo wrapped Heero up in a giant bear hug. He didn't even know if Heero liked hugs... _It's nice to think that he does-- he always seems to respond when I touch his back..._ Duo grinned as he rubbed his palms rapidly across Heero's back. Heero practically melted in his arms. _I like it when he does that way too much,_ Duo mused. 

He released his quiet companion and continued in a joyous gallop to Freddie's coffee shop, several blocks-- or 65 gallops-- away. 

  
  


  
  


_Why doesn't he just make out with the guy and get it over with,_ Wufei mused. He pressed his frozen fingers against the dying heat fan of his car. The pair he'd elected to watch for the hour turned the corner, and he revved the engine to follow. Wasn't much to go on. Even with finding the second feather in front of Yuy's apartment, the investigation was at a standstill. Nothing to do... 

_Like I'd ever tell Barton that,_ he mused. _Then he'd make me do my own dirty work..._

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


The cold, barren room was unaware of its intruder. His steps were light, and silent. A natural talent for the young detective. He paused in the middle of the bedroom. 

_If I get caught I'm not going to have _any_ problems naming an accomplice,_ Trowa swore. _Wufei's coming down with me._ He glanced into the tiny kitchen, and entered unhurriedly. It was empty. No food, or dishes. If he hadn't seen the slept-in bed, the whole apartment could have been deemed uninhabited. Trowa thumbed through the trash, secure in plastic gloves. There was barely any paper in it. 

_Who would have guessed 'Fei for the unorthodox kind of detective,_ Trowa wondered as he eyed the bathroom. Slightly used... _He knows the books from cover to cover, and can quote from them when *I* do something wrong..._ He stopped in the bedroom again, and stared at the unmade bed. _Yet he finds the balls to order something like this._

He moved closer to the bed, and started shifting blankets. Underneath the mattress, the bedsprings. Only cobwebs... 

The pillow was white, and slightly dented in the shape of a head that had burrowed into it. In that dent was something with an even brighter white glare. It was long, and soft. Light when he lifted it, and familiar. 

"Shit," he told the feather. "You sure do show up in some strange places..." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


_Now they're starting to make the connection,_ he thought happily. _Look at him running off, to tell his partner about the new piece of evidence... Good for him..._

He stretched languidly on the bed. The sheets were rough, and the pillow was much too flat. No wonder the fallen tossed and turned all night... 

_I suppose they've found Relena... Maybe she's dead. There sure was a lot of blood..._ He half smirked, half grimaced. Her blood hadn't smelled nearly as wonderful as *hers* had.... _Maybe now that witch will keep her mouth shut. _

"All that's left to die is *you*," he announced to the empty apartment. He rose delicately from the bed and drifted toward the ceiling. He faded, just before touching it.


	14. Chapter 14

**Stop The World  
14**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 14...  
Rated: PG-13?  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, cursing, weak storyline, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap.  


* * *

PART 14

She hovered through the busy precinct office, not minding whom she passed through or what. One of the officers shivered, and shouted for someone to turn up the thermostat... 'Dorothy' furrowed her brows in determination, searching the desks, hands and shelves for something specific... 

She hesitated as a tall, swift young man stepped out before her, and opened the door to one of the offices. 

"Barton!" A raucous voice barked. "Where's your partner?" 

The tall detective turned at the call. He frowned a little, and tucked his hand closer to his side, hiding something. Dorothy watched curiously... 

"He's on a stake out," Barton shouted back. He opened the office door and threw in whatever it was he had in his grasp. The door shut quickly, and he stalked back the way he'd come. "If any one calls, reroute it to my cell," he ordered before vanishing out the door. 

She wasted no time in investigating. Her elders called her shrewd. Of course I'm shrewd, she thought proudly. The walls passed by and she stopped suddenly. A small, satisfied smile creased her ghostly features. That's the only way to get the job done, and done right.... Dorothy reached for the specter-like object, and pulled it from its plastic bag confines. Moments later she rose and drifted from the Earth plane triumphantly... 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


His groan was muffled in his jacket sleeve. _My God-- will he *never* stop?!_ Wufei almost cried in relief as the incessant hum of conversation from the food booth behind him halted. It resumed, however, just as powerfully, and Wufei sobbed silently. 

How can he talk so much.... Duo laughed happily. How can 'Heero' stand it..... "Uhhhg," Wufei murmured thickly. 

"... that's why I wear a helmet, whenever I'm around Treize. Sheesh, you'd think I was putting the moves on his 'Angel' Relena!" Duo laughed again, and drummed his fingers on the table. 

"Do you believe in angels?" 

This new voice was unexpected. It wavered from lack of use. Wufei cracked open one of his bloodshot eyes, and waited. He winced when Duo answered, but held fast. 

"Wow, you speak!" Duo chuckled to his friend. "Um... Quatre asked the same thing, a few days ago... I told him I didn't know. The theory is cool and all, but... I don't know..." 

"How about fallen angels?" Heero added hesitantly. There was another blessed pause. 

"Fallen angels?" Duo repeated slowly. "Like... losing their wings, and all that?" 

"... They're cast down," Heero began shyly. "With memories of heaven, and sometimes regrets..."

Wufei was sitting up by now, wrapping cool hands around his warm mug of tea. Duo was actually rendered speechless-- for all of 20 seconds. 

Duo answered softly. "I don't know if I'd *want* to believe in that... Regrets for an angel?" He trailed off somberly. "They sound like pretty sad creatures..."

"Sad," Heero agreed solemnly. Wufei shivered. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
The smile greeting him as he entered the warm, sweet smelling shop was potentially addictive. Trowa couldn't stop the faint quirking of his own lips into a grin for the beautiful blonde. 

He's smiling, Quatre thought in wonder. He blushed, and fidgeted with a notepad on the counter. 

"Someone from your team already came in, about a half hour ago," Quatre admitted to the notepad. Trowa paused directly before him, and placed one slim, sculpted hand on the counter top. 

"Wufei?" The tall detective offered in surprise. _I thought he was going to follow the other two..._ But Quatre looked up with shimmering eyes, and answered in the negative. 

"No... She was a tall blonde. She said her name was 'Dorothy Catalonia'..." he let his words taper off as Trowa's bland statement registered confusion. 

"Catalonia?" The detective repeated. "No one with that name is on this case... What did she ask?" 

"She asked who I suspected," Quatre offered truthfully. "I guess that should have tipped me off. Was she from the press, maybe?" Trowa shook his head-- no idea... The short silence that followed was pierced efficiently by the telephone. Quatre excused himself, and vanished beyond the back curtains. The second ring was interrupted, and soft murmurs of speech ensued. 

_The press_? Trowa mulled unhappily. _A shooting is hardly juicy enough for them--_ He glanced up as the curtains were flung back, and a pale Quatre emerged. He was shrugging on his coat, and without an upward glance had attacked the notepad with a pen. 

"Quatre." 

Quatre let out a shuddering sigh. His fingers were clenched around the ink pen tight enough to hurt. He answered Trowa in halting, panicked speech. 

"Relena's in the hospital," he blurted. "Relena Peacecraft-- she's a friend." Accomplishing the simple task of writing a panicked note for Duo, Quatre tore it from the pad and jogged around the counter. "I'm sorry Trowa, but I have to go--" 

Trowa followed Quatre's impatient flight out of the store, and watched as he attached the note to the door, and locked it firmly. Trowa grabbed Quatre's wrist as the panicked blonde tried to sprint down the street. "We can take my car," he offered. 

Quatre turned to stare up at him with soulful eyes. The wrist Trowa held was warm; soft like silk. Before any thanks could be attempted, Trowa pulled Quatre a few steps down the walk, and opened the passenger door of his dormant vehicle. Seconds later he was turning the key in the ignition, and pulling out into traffic. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
I couldn't imagine his smile ever fading... Even when his lips weren't curled in glee, his eyes would hold me because they were beautiful, and ever smiling... He embraces life... Embraces... everything... I watched him flirt with the cafe cashier, and I was jealous. Just a little; I was more envious, and proud, that he could love everything, always. 

Beautiful, I wanted to tell him. He poked my side as we walked, once again commenting on how quiet I was. 

"The quiet ones always surprise you," he hypothesized ominously. Then he laughed. I would have been a surprise, if I told him... He'd never believe it, I thought sadly. I barely can, even with the pain. 

"Hey," he chirped as we approached the store. "Looks like Quatre went out..." He pulled off a small paper from the door, and read it swiftly. A grim look dismissed all previous hints of playfulness, and he turned to me, unsmiling. 

"Quatre doesn't need this," he told me with a deep sigh. "I don't know what he'd do if Relena..." Duo shook himself once, and grabbed my arm. "C'mon." He pulled me down the sidewalk and growled at the cold afternoon air. "*Both* of our angels are at the hospital, and I'd hate to find out which one is worse off..." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
The clouds around him were gray; mirroring his discontent. The gloom of their color only served to fuel his anger. He balled dainty hands into fists, and fumed. 

The bitch..... Even after I've silenced her, she won't *leave* me-- He didn't calm with his next thought, comforting though it was. At least I've started the seed... the tiny suspicion that precious 'Heero' is more than he seems... He peeled back pale lips, and offered the sky a sharkish smile. They'll bring him down at his last resort... I'll damn him.... to oblivion....... 

* * *

  
End part 14... o__o... Been a while... LoL. I moved, started classes, blah blah, the usual chaos... ::nods:: x____x; And I got... so many reviews... I don't know what to do.... =^_^= No wait, I know. Post more chapters, right? ^_____^ Thankee-sai!

* * *


	15. Chapter 15

**Stop The World  
15**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 15...  
Rated: PG-13?  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, cursing, weak storyline, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap. Small amount of future angst, tissues not required. ^_^V   


* * *

PART 15

... the lights wouldn't stop flashing.... she was so tired, and her head ached... _What... happened... _ But her memory was already returning in flashes. Frightening white flashes that were synchronized with each flood of light as consciousness met her, then receded. She remembered the mirror... 

_My brother--_ she flung out her arms desperately, fighting a ghost-- _How could you kill her?!_ She screamed, but no sound came to her ears; just more pain as her face moved, and tears burned down her face. Hands restrained her, and soothing voices rumbled outside of her panic, but she had to tell them-- _I have to warn_ "Heero--" 

"I ri a." Relena froze at the strained and liquidy sound that had come from her lips. She began to choke on something warm, and began to cry again... Someone held her hand tightly as comforting darkness rolled in. One last surge of urgency filled her, then was replaced by dark calm. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


"What room is Relena Peacecraft in?" Quatre ordered as he approached the nurses' desk. The face of a tired nurse glanced disinterestedly at him from her computer screen. 

"Are you family?" She asked blandly. Quatre hesitated, and she went on in a more dismissive tone. "Only family is allowed in Intensive Care. You'll have to wait." 

_Wait?!_ The idea was absurd-- terrible-- _I can't wait to hear if Relena's dead!_ Quatre pounded his fist once on the counter, and felt Trowa's calming hand on his shoulder. "I have to see her-- I'm practically family--" 

"Practically isn't enough," the nurse sniffed. She didn't even turn her head as Quatre let out an exasperated sigh, and pounded the desk again. 

"Quatre?" 

Treize's voice was faint, but Quatre recognized the sigh and whirled instantly. His memory of a tall, built, and confidant man was over shadowed by the slouching and rumpled figure shuffling down the hall. Treize's face was pale, and Quatre felt his heart surge as Treize raised his hand in greeting-- he was shaking. 

"Thanks for coming," Treize murmured. "She would have wanted you here..." 

Quatre moved forward, and forced himself to ask-- "What happened? Is she alright--" 

Treize let out an angry snort, and flung up his hands. "What happened? I have no idea. I come home and the love of my life is being wheeled out on a gurney, covered in blood--" He stopped flailing his arms and folded them tightly in front of him. His frantic gaze had never risen from the floor during his narrative, but now he met Quatre's electric gaze. "I can't live if she dies," he admitted. "She's everything--" 

_Dies,_ Quatre's mind echoed. _Relena might die... my angel._ He curled one of his hands into a fist, and pressed it to the aching throb in his chest. The hospital lights were dimming dangerously... 

Trowa caught Quatre before his knees even buckled. Treize moved forward clumsily, but Trowa was already pulling him over to sit in the waiting station. 

"Quatre look at me--" Trowa called softly to him, willing his unfocused gaze to sharpen into some semblance of consciousness-- 

"Treize!" A familiar brisk voice stormed into the sickly silence of the hall, and two coherent gazes rose to meet with the sight of a dark shadow-- hovering like death-- 

But it was Duo, standing beneath a burnt out florescent light, with Heero's figure overlapping. Trowa took a steadying breath as the two approached. Quatre stirred next to him, and Duo was suddenly shaking the traumatized blonde. 

"Quatre! Why the hell do you look like you just passed out-- did he just pass out? He did, didn't he?!" Duo rattled off a few choice curses and sat down next to his business partner and friend. Heero took a seat on the other side. 

"Duo..." Quatre muttered thickly. "Poor Relena..." 

"Yeah," Duo agreed softly. "Poor Queen of The World-- but you know she's gonna be all right. Angels are pretty tough," he laughed. Quatre's eyes closed swiftly, and he buried his head into Duo's shoulder... he began to shake... 

Trowa leaned back discontentedly. _Duo's his best friend,_ he reasoned. _Of course he'd go to him for comfort..._

"... Barton..." Trowa looked up quickly to where the whisper hailed from-- the corner of the hall. A familiar dark pair of eyes was all he needed to distinguish. He stood quietly, and stalked quickly over to his partner. Wufei was buzzing with curiosity. Trowa couldn't even attempt to smile. 

"Relena Peacecraft is here," he reported grimly. "Remember-- close friend of Quatre's?" 

Wufei's eyes grew round. He threw a furtive glance at the waiting room conglomeration. Trowa continued. 

"The husband hasn't been told what happened--" he paused as Treize Kushrenada started ranting; blood and *Iria*-- He shared a solemn glance with Wufei. 

"They were at the coffee shop the whole time. And before that, they were in the shop. He couldn't have sneaked out." Wufei slowed his report and continued with his epiphany. "A partner." 

"There were two? Or more?" Trowa added incredulously. "The Peacecraft girl could have found out, and threatened them--" 

"So they tried to kill her," Wufei nodded fiercely. He narrowed his eyes and glanced around Trowa to study their newly analyzed suspect. Said object of scrutiny shifted nervously in his seat.   
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


"How is he?" Treize asked Duo's curled figure. Duo looked up with a strained grin. 

"He got my shoulder soaked, but I think he's going to be okay." The smile flattened out as he went on. "How's Relena? Please tell me I didn't lie to the kid--" 

Treize shrugged slightly. He had focused on a distant point in the room, and was beginning to chew his nails. "She's lost a lot of blood... they have her in surgery right now." Treize sighed around his hand. "I only got to stay until she started having-- seizures... she was yelling about Iria..." 

"Iria?" Quatre mumbled around Duo's shirt. He sat up hesitantly, and wiped his face before looking up at his friends. "Why would she mention my sister?" 

Treize's numb expression didn't waver at Quatre's small inquiry. Duo patted Quatre's soft head back onto his shoulder. 

"... She cried out 'hero' once..." Treize explained softly. "I couldn't catch anything else... And I didn't understand what I did hear..." 

Quatre froze as Treize repeated his wife's delirious calls. _Hero. Heero. *Heero*._ He shivered when he turned, and stared wide eyed at Heero's stony face. 

"Heero," he began solidly. Duo blinked at him, and Treize offered as much as he could in the way of attention. Heero's face remained expressionless. The closest emotion such facial structure could be likened to was sadness... _Relena believed he was innocent... did she pay for it with her life...?_ "Did you know my sister Iria?" 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


I had heard the facts. Relena was calling my name, and Quatre's sister's name. Two unconnected people in once sentence. One dead, one living and very much a suspect. But I couldn't help feeling surprised, and hurt, when Quatre asked me if I'd killed his sister-- He didn't ask that exactly, but he wanted to know. I couldn't blame him. 

"No," I answered softly. Quatre's eyes flashed hesitantly, and he leaned closer to me. Duo was caught in the middle, and I could feel him watching me... A lot of people were watching me... 

"Relena said you committed a crime," Quatre whispered urgently. "I'm sorry-- you have to tell me if you-- was it Iria?" 

My breath caught in my throat. He'd asked me. There was already remorse in his glittering eyes and I wanted to scream that I would never hurt his sister I'd never hurt him or any one. _The Guardians are wrong I'm not fallen!!!_

"Mr. Kushrenada?" A soft, feminine voice interrupted my whirling thoughts, and the hovering man, Treize, turned dizzyingly in answer. "Your wife is stable, Mr. Kushrenada. You can go in to see her." The woman smiled comfortingly. "She has a strong heart, sir. With enough time to heal, she'll be back to her old self." 

A small thread of tension snapped. Quatre's interrogation dropped as if it had never started, and he stood up. Treize waved him over urgently, and both followed the white clad woman down the hall. Quatre paused, and turned to look back at Duo and I, before moving on. 

I blinked as a slight flash of white obstructed my view. I reached up to capture it and felt a soft weight meet my fingers. I stared at my hand for a moment. It was a feather. 

"Heero Yuy?" A gruff voice snapped into my lulled thoughts, and I looked up from examining the strange appearance of a feather-- an angel's feather-- I met a pair of fiery black eyes. "I'm Detective Wufei Chang, this is my partner Detective Trowa Barton. We need you to come with us, for questioning." 

I heard Duo sputtering beside me, barking indignantly at the two detectives. I just stared at them, an incriminating feather poised in my palm. 

"... hell you're questioning him! There's no reason to--" 

"Mr. Maxwell," Detective Chang interrupted angrily. "Shut up. Yuy--" he added sharply. "If you don't come with us now, we'll have to take you in by force--" 

I stood obediently. Duo was beside me instantly. "I'm coming too." 

"It's alright," I found myself consoling him. "I'll be right back..." _I hope._ Duo was obviously eager to object, so I moved my feet before he could. I released the feather into a trash receptacle and stared at the linoleum as I was led. It reminded me of marble. Marble halls, and a long walk to judgment. 

  
  


* * *

  



	16. Chapter 16

**Stop The World  
16**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 16...  
Rated: PG-14  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, cursing, weak storyline, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap. Small, small amount of future angst.  


* * *

  
  


PART 16

She placed either palm flat upon the table, and leaned forward with glittering eyes. Her voice was breathless and more than determined. 

"It is _not_ the accused," 'Dorothy' announced firmly. She swept her icy gaze across the affronted Guardians as immediately they rose and pounded out retorts-- 

"You're out of line angel--" 

"Ridiculous--" 

"Who are you to contradict the Higher Judgment--?" 

"Quiet." This was not a command. Neither was the voice of Reason and of Maturity, offering a request. Perhaps it was merely a suggestion. However taken, each voice silenced and frowning faces turned to the very Guardian that should be offended, the Judge of the fallen angel. 

His face was the face of an angel. Collected and cool. Purest of features, proportionate and poised... He ruled the silence accordingly, and responded lethargically to the angels' previous excitement. 

"Give me the feather." 

She placed the plastic ensconced feather on the table before her, and watched as it rose smoothly from the table surface and drifted none too hurriedly to the Guardian seated opposite her. As the bag and feather halted before him, the Guardian lifted his hand and fingers, extended. The plastic surrounding the evidence vanished, and two fingers replaced its embrace. 

The Guardian did not reveal surprise nor concern. His gaze however rested purposefully on the angel at the far end of the table. Dorothy's chin rose expectantly. _Yes._

"You're correct, angel." Was he... amused? "I know the guilty party. His soul is surprisingly black." The Guardian studied the feather for a moment, as if considering its properties and mechanics... "Keep up your surveillance of the accused, angel. Don't intervene just yet. This case will play out well enough. Earth will have its justice, and Heaven ours." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
The tiny room that Detective Chang and Detective Barton led him to must have been a closet at one time. Still was, if the mop and mop bucket had anything to say about it. Wufei waved Heero into a wobbly stool in the middle of the room. Their suspect's eyes seemed unusually tired, and yellowed from the room's illumination via a single swinging light bulb. Heero sat in an awkward slouch as if his shoulders or back were aching, and as if his very soul was fatigued. 

"We're going to record this," Trowa began softly. He pulled a small recording device from his coat pocket and fiddled with the buttons, until a soft click heralded its functioning. He held it out dutifully to catch Heero's every word. 

Wufei stalked the short length of the closet's far wall, then stalked back. He kept his stern gaze riveted on Heero Yuy's cautious figure, and began. 

"Your name is Heero Yuy." 

"Yes," the accused sighed. Wufei nodded. 

"What did you do before you came to work for Quatre Winner?" 

"I was from a city a few miles north, from here. I just worked in maintenance for a few places..." Heero shifted uncomfortably and folded his arms. He surrendered that position seconds later, and settled for his dejected and curled pose. 

"Did you know Iria Winner, Heero?" Wufei demanded. He watched Heero for any signs of refusal or anxiety-- 

Still the same sad hunched figure. They could even see his face as he watched Wufei form his questions: it was blank. Heero shook his head negatively, then remembered Trowa, his recorder and its purpose. "No." 

Wufei frowned. He rooted around in his pocket and produced a curious clear plastic bag containing a single white object. Wufei offered it to the air and to Heero's attentive eyes. He saw what he needed. A wince, though very faint beneath the man's stony exterior. "Do you recognize this?" The question was voiced. 

"No," Heero whispered. He didn't miss the meaningful glance between the detectives. They hadn't meant for him to. Let him sweat it out. 

"There was one found at the scene of Iria Winner's murder, and several more have been found in... incriminating locations. Tell me, Mr. Yuy," Wufei softened his interlocutor's hiss to a more conversational tone. "Do you have a lot of friends? Partners in crime perhaps?" 

"I don't have any friends," was the soft, mournful reply. Heero didn't elaborate. The detectives shared another glance under their suspect's glittering eyes. 

"You're not being very specific, Yuy," Wufei snapped. "In fact you're being suspiciously vague. I'm not satisfied with 'vague' answers, Yuy. But maybe it's my own fault, and my questions aren't specific enough. I'll try harder," he added sarcastically. "Heero Yuy; did you take part in the murder of Iria Winner?" 

They didn't expect him to answer in the affirmative. Suspects hardly ever did, especially with a mop staring at them, as opposed to the barred windows of their actual interrogation room. But, the mop would have to do. _We'll have time to crack him later once we get a warrant _, Wufei reminded himself. 

Heero's breathing was shallow until the breath before he spoke. His words were as weak as his posture. 

"No, I did not." 

Moments halted with bated breath now caught up with actual time, and Trowa clicked off the recorder. 

"I'd advise you not to leave the city anytime soon, Yuy," Detective Chang offered blandly. "You're now a suspect in the Iria Winner murder case. You're free to go, for now." 

Only when their suspect's back disappeared from the closet did either detective sigh impatiently. The loudest sigh came from Wufei. He folded his arms tightly before him in a near pout. 

"We think he has a partner, but we're not sure. Still no leads on this 'Zechs' character. No one has heard of him besides that stupid bartender." Wufei's nose wrinkled at the memory. "I hate weird shit like this. Feathers as evidence." He snorted. "Why do we always get the weird shit?" 

Trowa shook his head, as baffled as his senior partner. Wufei kicked the stool that minutes ago had supported the weighted figure of Heero Yuy, the only suspect in the most mysterious murder he'd ever investigated. He kicked it again for good measure and stormed out of the closet/interrogation room. 

"We'll question the Peacecraft girl. Get whatever we can out of her, then get the chief to process an arrest warrant, for Heero Yuy...." 

  
  
----------------------------------  
End Part 16.   
Ehh heh! It's short!! LOL. But. Be thee glad; almost done!! *_____* ::ebil lafter::  
http://tantrys.tripod.com/fics/gw_stop1.html 


	17. Chapter 17

**Stop The World  
17**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 17...  
Rated: PG-14  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, slight suggestion of 5xS (can't have Wuffers all alone, LOL). Cursing, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap. Small, small amount of future angst.  


* * *

  
  


PART 17 

My city my home my prison was quiet tonight yet quiet were not my thoughts. Oh, they were numerous and I felt scalded from questions. Few in number, but painful. Quatre's. The detectives'. Why did I have to be so cold?! I swung my arms angrily out against the icy air, fighting things that I couldn't see or protect myself against. I was guilty but I wasn't!

_How can they suspect me? I have no connection to Iria. Those feathers aren't mine--_ But the detectives didn't know that. Quatre, who had seen mine and must have compared it to the ones found, didn't know. I myself had touched one... it wasn't mine... wasn't... 

_Another angel,_ but a hidden one. Unlike me. I glanced up into the sky that was missing stars. As I had noticed before, the streets were quiet and empty, and I was alone. _I can be seen and... accused._

So I had been set up for my fall. I laughed soundlessly. For both of them. The motor of my world was fueled by the Fates, obviously. They considered me an amusing plaything? _This isn't funny,_ I cursed them. 

No sound, not even laughter, followed me. Footsteps heavy on concrete and pinched were all that I could count my passage by. Humans couldn't feel the earth turning under them. The only way they kept track of that was by watching the sky.

_I can't see the sky tonight. All I see is black._

  
  


  
  


  
  


"Alright, you're going to be fine? I mean, you do look kind of shaky, buddy..." 

Duo neatened Quatre's shirt collar and patted his hair. _I'll never forgive myself if he keels over and I'm not here._ Duo hugged his smallest and best friend tightly, almost desperately. _ He's lost so much weight... so much *everything*..._

Quatre patted Duo's shoulder faintly. "Can't breathe--" he huffed. Duo jumped back with a yelp and steadied Quatre's wobbly figure. But they laughed, both of them, and Quatre even smiled a little, returning a long lost warmth to his hollowed eyes. 

"I'm going straight to bed, I promise. Just... go see Heero." Quatre sighed thickly and offered Duo a pained frown. "I don't know why I asked him-- that. I know he didn't..." 

Duo pushed back Quatre's hair in a motherly fashion and smiled hugely, teeth flashing and lips curled back by force. 

"I'll tell him, chibi. Just you take care-- drink some of that tree tea, or something, and sleep well. I'll be back late, or tomorrow, which ever comes first!" Duo laughed and shoved Quatre's shoulders lightly in the direction of the stairs. He watched for a moment as his angel buddy ascended, then he exploded out into the nighttime street where the slap of sneakers on concrete echoed and rhymed down the sidewalk. 

  
  
_Wow. Nice and... drafty,_ Duo decided. He shivered a little in the cold barren hall, and knocked on what he hoped was Heero's door. _Open says me._

A minute, perhaps two, followed, before the sound of footsteps offered Duo hope. With a grinding crunch the door opened, and a familiar downcast expression greeted him. 

One mighty leap later Duo was clinging to Heero and slamming the door behind him, jumping up and down excitedly as he pulled his silent friend back into the apartment regardless of whether or not he was welcome. 

"Heero!" Duo admonished upon entering the sleeping area. "It's cold!" This exclamation resounded from the kitchen, and was followed by a groan when Duo found only ice cubes in the freezer, and nothing in the refrigerator. Heero remained motionless in the middle of his apartment as Duo skipped by to inspect the bathroom. He returned soon enough, and his braid swung brightly through the air behind him. 

"Nice pad," he offered. Heero gave him a weak glance, and returned to his vacated dent on his bed. Mischief returned and was welcome, even if Heero was being a little unreceptive. _I guess I'm doing alright-- he hasn't kicked me out, yet..._

Duo sauntered over to Heero's curled form, and jumped! up, over Heero, and onto the other side of the bed. Springs creaked warningly as Duo scrambled to burrow under the covers, but all calmed when he was covered and comfortably extended beside Heero, whom he smiled charmingly at. 

Heero's expression was priceless, a first possibly. Duo blinked once as he stared, and caught his breath because _damn. What a beautiful mouth._

Heero's amused and sad smile wavered tentatively on his lips, and fell altogether as he spoke and turned his head to stare up at the ceiling. 

"Comfortable?" He inquired softly. 

Duo laughed easily and sat up to stare down at Heero. "Of course!" He winked slyly then, and dove at Heero. "I love you man!" He burrowed his head in the blanket on Heero's chest and continued his outburst muffled. "Besides. It's cold in here! How can you stand it with just one blanket, I have to have ten in winter..." 

His chatter droned on and he knew it, but silence had never helped anybody. He was remarkably comfortable, considering the mattress had lumps and he was freezing! Duo took another breath to return to his tangent, and in that millisecond of silence he heard Heero sigh, just a little, softly so Duo wouldn't hear... 

"Hey Heero," he began, a little less brightly. "You remember when you asked me about angels?" Heero acknowledged the question with a mere nod, and Duo continued. "You mentioned fallen angels, I think. I saw this movie once where this angel fell because he loved some girl. Do they really do that, my angel expert friend?" Duo grinned jokingly and pulled some of the blanket over his cold hands while waiting, actually waiting, for an answer. 

  
  


  
  
I blinked at Duo's innocent, wondering inquiry. They do, of course. Almost all of them have... Relena fell, for that... 

Love was one of many human qualities considered contagious, and curious at worst. And it was the deepest, respected even by Guardians as a powerful agent. I angled my gaze to Duo's. My ears were still echoing with his dramatic 'I love you!' Of course he was joking. 

"Yes," I replied softly. I met his eyes at a close range and they were so blue-- maybe I had been correct in my first impression of violet. The deeper rings closer to his pupil were liquid, churning like clouds and I was flying again, like angels do. My breath caught at the sensation, and at the analogy. _Like I'm flying--_

"They fall for love..." 

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
Wufei knocked softly on the hospital room door and shuffled his feet in an uncharacteristically nervous manner. He never did like hospitals, and coming to one to question a newly admitted patient in intensive care... _It's the damn feathers' fault,_ he grumbled. _I wouldn't be here if this case wasn't centered around _feathers....

The door opened and a glare pinned Wufei to the spot. Powerful blue eyes, beautiful blue eyes, he noted absently, were all that he was offered of the room. 

"Detective Chang, 32nd Precinct," Wufei stammered. He held up his badge so the blue eyes could see, and Trowa mirrored his action. The eyes gave either evidence of authority a cursory pass before the door cracked open an inch further, allowing only the dainty young doctor on the other side to exit. She closed the door behind her and stared Wufei down again. 

"Mrs. Peacecraft is in a stable condition, Detectives, but I'd prefer if you waited to see her until tomorrow. She needs rest." The doctor raised her chin, warning or daring them to challenge her. 

Wufei bristled at the woman's rebuff and took a breath in preparation for an important rant. 

"Dr.-- Poe," Trowa interrupted suddenly. He neatly pushed Wufei aside and held out his hand for the dainty doctor to shake. Dr. Poe gripped it warily and waited for the more mannerly detective to present his case. 

"We only have a few questions to ask Mrs. Peacecraft. It won't take more than five minutes, and her answers may be extremely important in solving our case sooner..." Trowa gave his partner a sharp stare as he huffed indignantly. _I could have handled the woman,_ Wufei pouted. 

The doctor hesitated appropriately, then nodded. "But if Relena gets even the slightest bit agitated, you're both out and *banned* from her room!" She waved her finger threateningly, making sure both of them nodded and remained cowed. Wufei's face was a neat tomato red, but he nodded, and waited. 

Dr. Poe led the way back into Relena's room. The lights were dimmed slightly and Relena's was the only bed. Another figure was hovering beside the bed, speaking softly to the head wrapped in white gauze, spotted slightly with red... 

"Treize," Dr. Poe called softly. Her voice had changed from 'get the hell out' tone to a more civilized, compassionate murmur. The figure of the worried husband stood swiftly and approached frowning. "Detective Chang and Detective Barton are here to speak to Relena... if she's up to it." 

Treize's broad figure loomed threateningly over the leaner pair of detectives. They did not at all doubt his displeasure, and silent warnings against upsetting his love. Barely offering the two officers more than a withering gaze., Treize Kushrenada stalked back over to the hospital bed and leaned down to Relena's head. Only one eye was visible, and it was watching everything quite consciously. Her lips beneath the gauze mumbled a response, and Treize straightened. 

Glare. "She says go ahead." Glare. 

Wufei stood a few feet from the end of the bed and motioned for Trowa to produce his voice recorder. 

"Mrs. Peacecraft, I'm Detective Chang, this is my partner Detective Barton. We're head of the Iria Winner murder investigation," he paused as Relena's single aqua eye flashed with recognition, as well as something deeper... "We received the notion that you may have some information... preferably anything about Heero Yuy." Again that flash-- 

"I know Heero," was the whisper soft response from the bandages. Wufei moved slightly closer to hear. "You-- think he killed Iria?" 

Wufei couldn't stop his mouth from opening slightly in surprise. _She knows more than I thought--_. He saved his dignity however by playing his dropped jaw off as speech. 

"We have theories, Mrs. Peacecraft. That is one of them. Can you tell me anything about Yuy?" 

Relena answered breathlessly, anxious almost to get the truth out-- "He did not kill Iria. I know who did..." She paused as her voice broke. Treize lifted a small plastic cup of water with a straw. Relena nodded emphatically, and drank swiftly. A tear escaped as her husband caressed the gauze covering her cheek. 

"Mrs. Peacecraft," Wufei burst, rather loudly. Dr. Poe scowled, and he quieted. "Please, tell us everything you can. I have a feeling this case could break overnight, with your help." 

Relena closed her eye and sighed a shallow sigh. It sounded sad, but her voice was as strong and as purposeful as during any peace sermon she'd ever given. 

"My brother... must have loved Iria... He called her too pure for-- the earth. He framed Heero for it." Relena opened her eye again to reveal a gathering pool of tears. They fell, and were absorbed by her bandages. "He did this to me," she whispered. 

Wufei's expression sharpened, almost hungrily. "Is his name Zechs?" 

Relena's tears became a small stream, and she nodded past them. "... Zechs killed her." Treize's comforting hand descended to grip Relena's clenched fist. 

"Do you know where your brother is, Mrs. Peacecraft? If this is true it can clear Heero's name and give Iria Winner's death closure--" Wufei was already inching toward the door. This was it-- he could feel it in his bones--

"You'll never find him," she warbled. "He's crazy-- he can hide himself anywh--" Her eye widened suddenly, and the rest of her words were garbled and choked as if hands were around her neck and were squeezing. Her hands scratched frantically at the air and her face, while blood began seeping through the bandages and splattering on her lips as she screamed. 

Dr. Poe was quick-- she shoved Trowa aside and pressed a panic button near Relena's bed, and shouted for Treize to back off. As pounding footsteps approached the door, Relena's fit ended, as suddenly as it had begun. Bandages wrinkled and stained as they were, Relena's eye was still bright with pain and urgency; they stared forward and up into the air, focusing on nothing-- 

Wufei stepped through the doorway as Relena's last liquid cry resounded-- 

"Heero!!"  
  


  
  


  


* * *

^__^;;; couldn't resist... 


	18. Chapter 18

**Stop The World  
18**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 18...  
Rated: PG-14  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, slight suggestion of 5xS (can't have Wuffers all alone, LOL). Cursing, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap. Small, small amount of future angst.  


* * *

  
  


PART 18 

The angel Dorothy covered her mouth as blood splattered from Relena Peacecraft's lips-- she was seizing, crying, and silently begging for the hands around her neck to release... 

As Dorothy had hovered in the hospital room in the farthest corner, two police officers entered. This was Earth's attempt at an investigation; and they too had made the wrong judgment about the fallen angel Heero. Dorothy was almost hopeful that they'd believe Relena, and give the fallen angel peace. 

Minutes after the officer's arrival, a bright and furious flash of ethereal light had exploded into the room, seen only by Dorothy and perhaps the poor Peacecraft woman. Yes, she must have seen the furious ephemeral as it took her slender neck in its too-strong grip. Dorothy couldn't see his expression, but from the heat of his light, and the furious words he spat... he was going to kill her. 

"Crazy, sister, I am not. I am merely ridding this realm of something wrong-- *two* if you count _her_. I should make it three _witch_." The murderous angel gave Relena a painful shake, making her subsequent scream garbled, and all the more pain filled. 

"I need to finish things however. They're not destroying him fast enough." 

The angel vanished with one last shove to Relena's neck... Her tears were red now, mingled with blood. _Her own brother, and an angel,_ Dorothy thought with a shiver. She could have helped... but her orders were clear: _you'll know when to interfere. Until then, don't_. The officers practically ran out of the room as Relena shouted desperately around her pain and the life's liquid coursing down her throat. 

Dorothy rose solemnly through the ceiling and sky. Everything was falling into place. 

  
  


  
  


  
  
"I miss you," Quatre whispered. "I still can't believe that you're gone..." He was speaking to a memory. Its source had been gone for a little over two weeks, yet her presence hung like a thick perfume in the room. Sort of like the fingerprinting dust that coated the walls, the floor, and even the ceiling. 

"You were so beautiful--" he felt his throat tighten, and tears were threatening to break him-- "I don't know why *anyone* would ever want to hurt you. You were perfect, Iria..." Quatre let his head hang a moment, collecting himself before he messed up the powder with his tears, and brought down the wrath of Detective Chang. And Detective Barton... "I wish I could tell you about Trowa. You'd like him." 

Too late; his gaze was blurred with warm tears, and at first he thought they were just refracting the dim overhead light... But the sudden increase in illumination, the white hot warmth of it, made him pause. Quatre wiped his face hurriedly with the sleeve of his shirt, and looked up. A short, wild thought coursed through his mind; _Iria--_

When Quatre's eyes rose after his whispered plea, he was staring down the cold, black barrel of a gun. 

  
  


  
  


  
  
According to Duo, we were going back to the shop to "thaw out". It actually made sense, which was quite unnerving because now I was beginning to think like him. _But maybe that's not so bad...._

Also according to Duo, Quatre had moaned over asking me about Iria. "He's really stressed... I haven't seen him smile or have fun since Iria died." Duo explained as he galloped along through the cool night. "And it's especially crazy since the police don't even have a suspect! Or any clues!" Duo shook his head in firm disbelief, and suddenly twirled around to match my stride. He wrapped his arm around me and hugged me as only he could-- enough so that I couldn't breathe. 

That feeling of breathlessness was nice. Of being held by a very important, very beautiful person. My lips, stiff and chapped from the wind, stretched back comfortably. My teeth were exposed to the icy air, and I thought-- _I'm smiling._

Duo discovered this as well. He screeched to a halt, stopping me as well with the uncanny strength of his will. With two stomping footsteps he placed himself in front of me, blocking the last block to the shop. His hands plastered themselves on my upper arms, warming me through the thin fabric of my shirt. 

"Stop right there. You're actually smiling-- I never thought I'd live to see the day. Don't move-- I'm going to remember this forever, so I can say that my friend Heero Yuy actually does have facial expressions!" And he held me... I don't know how long. The cold became obsolete, because Duo was so close and comforting. Warm, hot, smiling greater than I was. I let the grin creasing my stony face to fall, not wanting to over use it. Duo allowed it, and I was faintly surprised that he didn't move away, so we could move on. 

I was no longer cold. My feet were firm upon the ground, yet everything around me was spinning crazily, and slowing, preparing to stop... Duo leaned closer, his smile had vanished sometime ago. He moved his hands upward, and I found them soon supporting the back of my head. 

Yes, the world had stopped. I was watching Duo from a tunnel, racing forward as he pressed his lips to mine, and kissed me. 

  
  


  
  


  
  


"I've found the guilty party!" Dorothy belted confidently. She ignored the outraged protests of the Guardians, her superiors at worst. She was stepping way out of line; if the Guardian Judge chose to, he could have her dashed from the hall, perhaps put on probation for her misconduct. 

_But he won't,_ she thought, watching the lead Guardian as he sat calmly at the opposite end of the table. _I've got something and he knows it._

"I saw him attack the fallen angel Relena Peacecraft; his own sister! He said himself that he is ready to confront the accused angel; possibly to destroy him before the truth can set him free. We can stop it--" 

"Wait..." Dorothy froze at her superior Guardian's crafty voice. _Wait?!_ She was surprised, nearly outraged-- 

"Why?" She managed to blurt out. She was over the line. She'd broken it, probably. No going back, after she'd questioned challenged and practically over taken a Guardian's order. 

But the Judge merely shook his head, dismissing her demand. "You will wait. Watch him, and wait." The Guardian actually smiled, without humor, but a knowing smirk nonetheless. 

"If you are what I believe you to be, angel, you'll know when the time to intervene arrives. Go."   
  



	19. Chapter 19

**Stop The World  
19**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 19...  
Rated: PG-14  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, slight suggestion of 5xS. Cursing, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap. Small, small amount of future angst.  


* * *

  
  


PART 19 

The expression on Detective Chang's face was closed... until they reached the parking lot. By then his dark eyes were glittering, and by the time he turned right, out of the lot and onto the dark, empty street, his face had turned noticeably paler, almost the tint of his knuckles as he gripped the steering wheel. 

Trowa marked Wufei's transition absently, and checked the clip in his gun. Full. With a short, fed up snort, his partner spoke. 

"I don't understand this," Wufei explained in a tight, anxious tone. "Not even half of it, and I like it even less. Two suspects-- neither of which we have any hard evidence on. Besides those damned feathers. Who the hell walks a case based on _feathers_?!" He emphasized his exasperation with a fist to the steering wheel, then glanced over at Trowa quickly. "If you get a shot, take it." 

A shot at what, Trowa didn't bother to ask. No arguments, because he felt exactly the same way about this case. Too mysterious, too much unexplained... Trowa arched his arm to inspect the aim of his pistol, sighting the dashboard experimentally. _I hope Quatre's alright._ He flicked the safety off. 

  
  


  
  


  
  
_Can't stop smiling. I mean, I always smile, but damn! Can't stop..._

Of course he had a very good reason not to stop. He'd kissed Heero. A nice, un-sloppy smacker, right on those pale lips and just like he'd imagined they were cool and tasted a little like candy... Duo tightened his grip on Heero's hand, and swung into Horizons with his natural stealth-- he tripped over one of the display tables. 

Duo scowled at the table in the dark, and pulled Heero forward before anymore pieces of furniture could jump out in front of him. He managed to find the stairs with out incident, and ascended on tiptoes. A dim light was shining from the hall, illuminating the stairs. 

"Quatre?" Duo hissed nervously. "It's just me, and Heero--" He stopped short as he reached the landing, and noticed one of the doors in the hall open. It hadn't been opened since-- and there was a light on-- 

_Quatre avoids her room, why would he be in there--_ "Something's wrong," he decided aloud. Heero had paused close behind him, staring at the light spilling out onto the wall and floor. 

"Quatre?" Duo tried again, inching forward. Each step was adding to the apprehension that light had caused... _Answer me buddy... I'd better not find you on the floor with three bullet holes..._ The thought of that... to Quatre... his stomach clenched warningly.

He rushed the last few steps, and burst into Iria's room with his jaw steeled. Heero followed immediately, and heard Duo's faint gasp as well as the sound of the angel's wings shifting . 

  
  


  
  


  
Zechs smiled wickedly, and raised his gun to accommodate two more persons. 

"There you are," he whispered, widening his eyes as he got a better look at Heero. The fallen angel looked almost-- at peace. _Can't have that, now can we..._

  
  


  
  


  
  
Unknown to Zechs or his captives, another angel entered the room. She rested against the ceiling, and watched as Zechs leveled his gun at each human's heart, then head. 

"You were the perfect one to take the fall, 'Heero'. Forgive my wording." Zechs didn't bother to grin. He held Heero in his sights, and held his shooting arm completely still. "Fallen, and waiting." 

"A-aam I seeing a guy with wings and a gun, or am I just drunk again?" Duo blurted suddenly, his voice wavering uncharacteristically. No one answered. Zechs moved toward Heero, and continued dreamily. 

"She could have been an angel, a real angel on earth she was so pure..." Zechs paused to breath in loudly through his nose, and lick his pale angel lips. "Flowers, and blood..." 

Quatre swallowed a pained gasp, and shuddered as this *angel* continued his morbid anecdote. _Blood? And.. flowers? The gun, the feathers-- Iria had gardenia scented perfume--_

"Why?" He managed to croak. His stomach was churning fitfully, trying to ignore the flashing memory of Iria in a pool of blood-- hair stained red-- eyes open-- 

Zechs hardly glanced at Quatre before he returned to glaring at Heero. 

"Drop the gun _now_!!!" 

The barrel of Zechs' gun snapped expertly toward the sound. Two new figures stepped through the doorway, guns trained on the sole threat and impossibility-- the angel. Detective Chang moved beside Duo, while Detective Barton eased next to Quatre. Neither removed their gaze from the angel. 

Zechs glared darkly at either intruder. "Meddlesome humans. First you were too slow to kill *him*, and now you move in when you're not wanted." 

"Drop the gun," Wufei repeated firmly. "You're under arrest for the murder of Iria winner. Drop the gun!!" 

Zechs didn't bother to comply. His mouth quirked up on one side, and he continued where he'd left off. 

"Because she was too pure. The earth doesn't deserve an angel, and the heavens were cursed with *you*," Zechs gestured toward Heero with his gun, while Wufei and Trowa tensed and zeroed in on their target. 

Heero was as pale as usual, and that stunned expression he's worn since his arrival had returned, replacing peace, hope... His hand was still clasped tightly in Duo's. Quatre covered his mouth as his shoulders heaved along with his stomach. 

"You're crazy," he panted, watching Zechs furiously. His next breath was interrupted, and pounded from his chest. The sound of a firing gun registered only after the bullet ripped through his shoulder. He fell, and heard the rapid succession of three, four five more shots... 

"Did you kill Iria Winner?" Wufei snapped suddenly. Trowa's bullets had passed right through! All five were embedded in the wall behind the-- the *angel*-- "Trowa." 

His words were no sooner expelled than obeyed. Trowa, from his place on the floor beside Quatre, pulled the voice recorder from his pocket, and set it on the floor. _Evidence._

The angel laughed terribly. "I killed the purest being on all of Earth. I said her name as she died-- 'Iria'... and I sprinkled her body with that beautiful scent she wore." Zechs once again adjusted his aim to center on Heero's forehead. "Go ahead and try to judge me, humans. True angels are too perfect to fall under your jurisdiction. And they're immortal--" 

He pulled the trigger. "Except for the fallen." 

  


* * *

NOTE: This will probably be revised; dunno what happened to me when I was writing it. It's so... bland, and messy... I apologize. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Stop The World  
20**

* * *

  
Title: Stop The World Part 20...  
Rated: PG-14  
Warnings: A.U., mystery!, shounen ai 1x2 of course with background 3x4 and Rx13, slight suggestion of 5xS. Cursing, tons of P.O.V. switching, drama, and sap. Small, small amount of future angst. Inspired by the Eurythmics song 'Peace'  


* * *

  
  


PART 20 

Dorothy peeled away from the shadows, bleeding from them into a visible form. She caught the bullet in her palm, softening its path, and dropping it to the floor with a short thud. 

  
  
  


  
  


There was a new flare of light, golden and powerful. To Quatre, fallen, shivering, and bleeding on the floor, her face was familiar. Thin and angular, with sharp eyes and brows. Her hair was flowing as if caressed by an unseen wind. And Dorothy had wings now. 

Zechs' expression was yet again not one often seen upon angels. He was shocked, and as Dorothy spoke, he was afraid. 

"You are judged," she declared. The words came easily, considering they were those of a Guardian... Dorothy accepted her rise of status grimly. "And you are fallen." 

A sharp arc of light lanced from her palm, and she parried as if it were a sword. The light burned across Zechs, but he didn't scream until he registered the sensation of his wings tearing. As he staggered at the sudden loss of weight, his gun fired into the floor. 

The detectives fired their response dutifully. Three shots, two from Wufei and one from Trowa. Zechs straightened at a horrible time, and was thrown back as two bullets embedded themselves in his chest, and one drilled an end into his forehead. 

The room was silent as he fell, white gold hair drifting in the air, tangible now. They absorbed to crimson as they touched the floor, and the pool of blood beneath Zechs grew. His body had fallen over the outline of Iria's, removing it, and replacing it... There was a lot of blood, for three wounds. Most seemed to be flowing from his back...

Duo's jaw was hanging open in utter disbelief. He was whipping his gaze from the fallen angel on the floor, to the one glittering just a few feet away; both very real. He mumbled something about never drinking again... 

Wufei holstered his gun as he stepped toward Zechs' body. No pulse. _Quite a close to this case,_ he mused. His hands rifled around in his pocket to produce a cellular phone. One button dialed. "This is Chang, I need a squad at the Winner shop. Coroner." 

Trowa's soothing voice matched pace with his hand as it brushed through Quatre's hair, whispering of promises, and tea... The blonde had fallen into shock, although his eyes were open and oddly receptive. Duo knelt quickly beside him, reassuring himself that the little guy was alive... 

"Aw man, bleeding..." Duo grimaced dramatically, and pushed back Quatre's hair. "You know I've got a weak stomach!!" Quatre blinked in acknowledgment... almost smiling... _... what a weird end... Iria..._

Heero was watching Dorothy. An angel. A Guardian to be specific. _Here, so they must know their mistake._ He was surprised to feel the warmth of Dorothy's hand on his shoulder. 

"Your punishment has ended, Fallen. Rise again." 

Heero felt an old pulling sensation in his back. A familiar weight made him straighten, and stagger slightly. Wings sprouted new from light, and spread as if stretching behind him. He was elated-- and his gaze sought Duo, beautifully shocked, eyes round. But-- why was his expression falling, his mouth opening to speak and why was he fading? 

"Don't--" Duo's words were washed away with the sound of air as Heero rose. A blinding light heralded the angels' departure. _I didn't say goodbye--_

  
  


  
  


  
  
Treize Kushrenada-Peacecraft had an ache in his back, and his leg had fallen asleep for the tenth time that night. But he didn't notice. All that he could focus on was the limp hand in his. The cool, soft skin that he'd kissed for years. 

"I remember when you fell into my arms," he admitted, grimacing as his voice cracked. "I was walking along the street and all of a sudden I was on my back, you were above me, and you looked exactly like I'd dreamed..." 

Relena smiled beneath her bandages. Her fingers tightened around Treize's. 

"I love you," he whispered, kissing her fingertips. 

There was a strange finality in his words. As if something, somewhere, had been set right. Relena kept her smile as she slept. _Heero._

  
  


  
  


  
"Our sincerest grief for your unjust suffering, angel. Your rank will be resumed immediately, with our deepest apologies." 

I was looking into the face of the One that had judged me guilty. He had taken my wings, my place, my life seemingly. In these halls of perfection, they had judged me wrongly. Yet I harbored no disdain or anger. Another one of those pure moments had come upon me. One in a million, here, in heaven. Untouchable were we high above the Earth as it spun on its crooked axis, and took its inhabitants for a dizzying ride. 

I remembered walking in chains, and feeling fear. The halls weren't cold on my feet now; they warmed me from the soles up. It was quite a contrast to pinching boots. And cold. But I knew of something warmer. Deeper than the marble could ever go. 

I met the Guardian's gaze again, and noted the difference in his expression when he wasn't condemning someone. "You are no longer fallen," the Guardian added in his supremely beautiful voice. _I have heard a voice more beautiful...._

_I have always been fallen,_ I thought. I smiled... 

"The fates are obvious sometimes," I began in the way of thanks. "I...." ...had time to breathe this time, although fates were laughing again. But this time so, because I had acknowledged them as supreme. 

"I am fallen." I closed my eyes and fell. The sensation was swift, and very final... 

  
  


  
  


  
Duo was slumped over the counter, tired from a long day of sales and, well, he was sad. _I can't believe he's gone... Damn man was an angel and he never told me..._ His sigh sounded suspiciously like a sob. "Didn't think my kisses were that bad," he mumbled smally. 

Quatre watched Duo from his armchair, settled conspicuously in front of the cashier counter because Duo refused to lug it upstairs, "not even if you had ten holes in your body; I love you Quatre but I also love the muscles in my back far too much to abuse them"... Quatre didn't press. Duo had been almost lifeless since Heero vanished.... 

_Two days ago._ Quatre remembered vividly. _The angel, Zechs, killed Iria. He set poor Heero up-- made him lose his wings... How horrible..._ ...and now, Iria's memory could rest... _I'll still miss her._

"He'll come back," he tried, angling his neck to watch Duo mope. His braided friend sighed forlornly. 

The bells above the door rang violently as someone entered the shop. Duo didn't even look up... He'd seen Trowa pass the window. 

A casually dressed, off duty Trowa Barton stepped through the doorway, a shy smile glowing on his face for one small blonde beauty in a chair. Quatre's face lit up, and he moved to stand. 

Trowa paused in the doorway, and glanced back in surprise. He held the door open as a customer entered behind him. 

From Duo's squashed posture against the counter, he could see the basic shape of yet another customer, visiting to gawk at the crime scene, and perhaps buy something. With a heavy sigh, he sat up and began the usually litany. "Can we help you?" 

"There was a 'help wanted' sign, in the window..." 

  
  


  
  
I smiled as Duo hurdled the countertop and crashed into me, knocking the air from my lungs and sending both of us hurtling toward the ground. And as I fell, the world spun crazily, making the ceiling the floor and Duo everything else... the world stopped for me, for a kiss... 

* * *

NOTE: This will probably be revised; dunno what happened to me when I was writing it. It's so... bland, and messy... I apologize. 


	21. Eurythmics 'Peace'

**Peace**

* * *

  
Artist: Eurythmics  
Song: Peace  
This is the song that inspired Stop The World... Actually, just the first line, LoL. But it's a very nice song. ^_^ I hold no claims to it X_x;; I'm just a fan! Thank you for reading Stop The World!! I really really hope you enjoyed it! ^^  


* * *

  
  


PEACE 

Stop the world  
Turn out the sun   
I'm so tired of it turning around 

Stop the world   
Call it a day   
Leave it all behind   
Leave it that way 

Peace   
Is just a word   
Is just a word 

Peace   
Is just a word   
Yeah... 

Stop the world   
Just let it be   
Well we've taken more than everything we need 

Stop the world   
Just shut it down   
There's no point in it spinning around 

I tell ya that peace   
Is just a word   
Is just a word 

Lemme tell ya that peace   
Is just a word   
Yeah..... 

Oooo.... Ooo.... 

Stop the world   
Take it any way 

It's just that living here is more than I bear 

Stop the world 

Just pack it in 

Well we've reached the point where no one ever wins  
No one ever wins 

Peace is just a word  
Is just a word........ 


End file.
